New Consumer

For Marketers to Target Disabled Audiences, They Must First Look Within Their Own Companies

Here's how brands can help close the representation gap

a group of people gathered in a circle reading papers, person at forefront in wheelchair — The WFA’s first Global DEI Census found that just 7% of marketers self-identified as disabled, well below the global population level of 15%. FG Trade Latin/Getty Images

March 13, 2023

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“Nothing about us without us” became a clarion call for disability rights activists in the 1990s, and the slogan is still repeated today as a reminder that no policy or decision should be made without the involvement of those it affects.

That rallying cry is just as relevant for the marketing industry when it comes to disability inclusion. While a handful of disability-focused campaigns from brands have garnered attention or awards, the sector comes up short in representing disabled people in its workforce and in leadership roles.

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