DiversityInc - October 2006

It sounded like a good idea at the time—the ties. Within the umbrella category of people with dis-double latch on Hewlett-Packard (HP)’s abilities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 9. 3 mil-notebook computers helped keep the unit lion people have a sensory disability involving sight or from popping open unexpectedly. But the hearing; 21. 2 million have a condition limiting some extra latch also made it less practical for type of physical activity, such as walking, lifting or some people with disabilities to open the computer single- climbing stairs; 12. 4 million have a condition that handedly. So HP, No. 31 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top interferes with their ability to learn, remember or con-

50 Companies for Diversity® list, removed the extra latch centrate; 6. 8 million have difficulty caring for them-and discovered that selves or moving the cost of manufacturing the latches was cut in half. And How ^around ^the ^home;and 18. 2 million older than 16 have the potential for a condition that people with disabili- ₃ _Companies makes it difficult ties to use the prod- for them to go out-uct skyrocketed. side the home to Savvy marketers shop or visit a doc-already have taken note that this market segment con- Reach a ^tor. ^Also, ^somepeople do not classify themselves as trols about $220 having a disability. billion in discre- HP’s solution to tionary income— meeting its cus-two times that of tomers’ widerange teens, according to ^$220-Billionof needs was to the Department of turn to specialists Labor. Capturing even a fraction of _this _market _couldMarket in assistive technology— companies that create yield millions in tools that allow new revenue. _Several _compa-BY MARCIA LAYTON TURNER ^people ^with ^dis-abilities to use nies on The 2006 ILLUSTRATION BY EDDIE GUY computers. HP DiversityInc Top 50 makes the comput-Companies for er and then pairs it Diversity® list have caught on and are adjusting their with a screen reader to allow people without sight to designs and offerings to better reach this emerging market. hear the text, for example. _Breaking _the _{Communication} _BarrierVerizon Communications/Wireless, No. 1 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list,

HP is at the heart of a movement to ensure that tech- also is marketing aggressively to people with disabilities, nology is accessible to people with disabilities, which it and it is succeeding. The company established two call divides into two basic segments: people with age-related centers—one in Marlborough, Mass., and one in disabilities and people with other disabilities. “These Oxnard, Calif.—to service the growing number of phone two populations represent a large population of poten- calls from people who have hearing and visual disabilities tial HP customers,” says Michael Takemura, director of and who need telecommunications or data-transfer help.

HP’s Accessibility Program Office. A sign that the company’s efforts are working is the ris-

The challenge is how to provide products and serv- ing number of call-center employees. Fourteen years ago, ices that are accessible to people with differing disabili- the Marlborough center was established with a staff of six.