[gui-talk] Fwd: ABILITY Panels Officially Launch

[Steve Pattison]

>From: cornelius butler butlerc112 at bellsouth.net
>To: WAI Interest Group w3c-wai-ig at w3.org
>
>Hi Everyone,
>I wanted to let you know about a new project my company recently
>launched to give people with disabilities a voice in creating a more
>accessible world.
>
>On July 3, 2006 Butler New Media launched America's first nationwide
>online panels for people with disabilities. These two panels allow
>people with disabilities to participate in:
>
>Market Research
>Mystery Shopping
>Web Accessibility Audits
>Usability Testing
>Opinion Polls
>Surveys
>Focus Groups
>Other types of specialized studies.
>
>The official panel website is located at:
>http://www.abilitypanel.com
>
>I have attached a copy of the official press release at the end of
>this message. There is also a media kit on the official site that
>answers common questions about this project and details our history
>with the disability community.
>
>Please take the opportunity to sign up and use the free materials on
>the site to help spread the word.
>
>We look forward to using our panelists to help government agencies
>and corporations create more accessible online resources. By
>providing insights from real users with many different types of
>disabilities these organizations will not only create resources that
>are accessible but also usable by the widest audience possible.
>
>Cornelius Butler
>Butler New Media, LLC
>"Creating A More Accessible World"
>
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>Media Contact
>Cornelius Butler
>Butler New Media, LLC
>+1 229-246-7669
>Cornelius at butlernewmedia.com
>
>ABILITY Panels Officially Launch
>Creates America's First Nationwide Online Panels for People with
>Disabilities
>
>Bainbridge, Georgia ­ July 3, 2006 ­ Butler New Media, a disability
>services firm announces the official launch of two new online panels
>for people with disabilities, their family members, and other
>stakeholders.
>
>With the name ABILITY and the slogan “Be Heard” panelists will have
>the opportunity to participate in Mystery Shopping, Market Research,
>and a myriad of other specialized studies. The two panels that people
>can join are: The Mystery Shopping/Evaluation Panel and the Market
>Research Panel. Participants in the Mystery Shopping Panel will have
>the opportunity to participate in: Mystery Shopping, Product and
>Service Evaluations and Usability Testing.  The Market Research Panel
>is used for Surveys, Opinion Polls, Focus Groups, and other
>specialized research.
>
>The project is the vision of Butler New Media co-founder and person
>with a disability, Cornelius Butler.  He is an alumnus of Georgia’s
>High School/High Tech Program and the first person in the nation to
>start a business after graduating from the program.  He wanted to
>provide an easier way for corporations and other organizations to
>research the large and diverse disability market. He realized as a
>legally blind individual that people with disabilities have unique
>needs, wants, and desires that are currently not being addressed by
>mainstream market research.  “I wanted to make it easier for
>organizations to get the viewpoints of real people with disabilities.
>I believe that this project will break new ground in building
>awareness about the disability community and market” said Butler.
>
>One service that the team behind the panels is very excited about is
>the mystery shopping service. Using the ABILITY Mystery Shopping
>Panel companies can have people with disabilities sent to their
>locations posing as real customers in order to find out how their
>employees communicate with them. For example, a company can find out
>how people who use service animals are treated in their
>establishments. This critical data can be used to change employee
>attitudes and improve customer service.  Butler New Media also plans
>to help with shopper’s transportation costs, a first in the mystery
>shopping industry.
>
>With an estimated $220 billion of collective spending power, the
>disability community is a market that simply cannot be ignored by
>corporations.
>
>All surveys conducted through the panels will be rigorously tested
>utilizing people with disabilities who use a variety of assistive
>technologies
>
>For those interested in helping spread the word about this new
>project, a special “Help Us Grow” Section on the official website
>includes free flyers and online banners that can be easily downloaded.
>
>The panels have been actively recruiting people with disabilities
>nationwide to participate in research projects. There is no charge to
>become a panelist.
>
>“I am confident that our research will lead to more accessible
>products and services that will benefit people with and without
>disabilities. We will help companies to learn the real market
>preferences of this large segment.” says Butler.
>
>More information can be found at the official website located at:
>http://www.abilitypanel.com
>
>About Butler New Media:
>Butler New Media is a full service disability consulting firm with
>locations in both Conyers and Bainbridge, Georgia U.S.A.  The firm
>specializes in helping corporations and government agencies
>communicate with the disability community. Butler New Media has grown
>to include local, national, and international clients. Some of these
>clients include: Microsoft, Humana, U.S. Department of Labor, The
>Georgia Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and The
>Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. The company is located online
>at: http://www.butlernewmedia.com

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Skype:  steve1963
MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com