Clients - Kessler Foundation

Ability for Change: The Kessler Foundation Works to Improve the Lives of Americans with Disabilities

KEY STRATEGIES

		Challenge Twenty years after the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), most Americans with disabilities are still struggling with many of the same lifestyle and economic issues they confronted in 1990 when the ADA became federal law. Kessler Foundation partnered with National Organization on Disability to sponsor the 2010 Survey of Americans with Disabilities (conducted by Harris Interactive). This sixth installment of the survey found that there had been little to no change in 9 out of 10 indicators since it began in 1986. The challenge lies in educating the public about these stark numbers and empowering the media to report on the important fight to improve the lives of the millions of Americans with disabilities.

	Rodger DeRose President & CEO Kessler Foundation	"While it's important to celebrate the ADA as a powerful legislative tool that has provided people with disabilities equal access to education, housing and employment, a great deal of work clearly remains. Emanate was able to elevate this message to key audiences and their efforts helped us in our ongoing campaign to mobilize the country around this important issue."

		Solution Given that the movement for change had lagged since the landmark passage of the ADA, elevating the Kessler Foundation brand nationally through the results of the survey required a re-energizing of the issue. As such, Emanate, in conjunction with Neiman Public Relations, set out to inform and educate the public in a variety of ways, including a comprehensive press release with survey results; proactive media pitching; a luncheon for key influencers; an informational webinar/teleconference; and the expansion of online resources, including a micro-site for media and the public: 2010DisabilitySurveys.com.

		Results One of the main objectives of the campaign was to build awareness and incite action from media, government officials and community leaders. Targeted media outreach to a strategic mix of healthcare, employment and education outlets resulted in tremendous coverage, including more than 97MM media impressions across a variety of media outlets – such as NBC "TODAY", ABC, NY1, MSNBC, USA Today and US News & World Report.

Educate the media about Americans with disabilities
Execute strategic media relations plan
Build relationships with top-tier industry influencers, government officials, etc.
Position key executives for commentary
Expand educational resources

ACCOUNT TEAM

Evelyn Sprigg
Director, Healthcare Marketing

Blair Baumwell
Senior Associate

This landmark survey delivered significant news, enabling the team to develop a call-to-action that helped give a voice to the 54 million people living with disabilities.

Elyse Bernstein
Senior Associate, Emanate