ABILITY Panel Media Kit

ABILITY PANEL MEDIA INFORMATION

This media kit contains the following documents:

• Launch Press Release
• Project Goals
• General Information
• Bio on panel creator

Launch Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact
Cornelius Butler
Butler New Media, LLC
+1 229-246-7669
Cornelius@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

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Project Goals:

• Increase awareness about the unique needs of the disability community and its many subgroups.
• Show accurate geographic distribution of people with disabilities in the U.S.
• Help improve customer service for people with disabilities nationwide.
• Further develop best practices and techniques for surveying people with disabilities.
• Carry out ongoing research into the needs, wants, and desires of the disability community.
• Create the largest online panel of people with disabilities, their families, and others in the support network within the United States.
• Offer Market Research and Data Mining services to disability organizations.
• Improve product and service accessibility.
• To serve as a catalyst for systems change.
• Conduct comprehensive research and make it available for purchase.
• Provide career opportunities for people with disabilities in the fields of market research and advertising.
• To help with the inclusion of People with Disabilities in product design.
• Help to accurately analyze market demand for specific products and services as well as for accessibility features in mainstream products within the disability community.
• Dispel myths about people with disabilities.
• Help Build More Accessible Software

General Panel Info (in FAQ format):

What is it?

The ABILITY Panels are a group of nationwide online panels of people with disabilities, their family members, and others in their support network. It will be used for Market Research, Mystery Shopping, and a variety of specialized studies. It will provide timely and reliable data to business leaders, policy makers, and the media about the unique needs, wants, and desires of people with disabilities. These are first nationwide panels of their kind in American history.

Why are these panels needed?

People with disabilities are America’s largest minority group, made up of more than 49 million individuals. They have many needs, wants, and desires.  Unfortunately traditional market research firms have been ignoring this segment of the population for years, often citing high cost and difficulty in locating people to research.  This panel aims to alleviate this problem by providing a centralized opt-in database of eager participants. Special care has been taken to ensure online surveys are accessible for people who use assistive technology.

Will surveys be produced in alternative formats?

Yes. We have the capability to produce information in Braille, large print, and a variety of other formats.

Will the panel only target one disability?

No. This is a cross disability panel, meaning that people with all types of disabilities are welcome to join.

Is this government funded?

No. The Panel is designed and maintained by Butler New Media, LLC a private disability services firm.

What will these panels be used for?

These panels will be used for many different purposes. Some of which are:

• Mystery Shopping
• Market Research
• Usability Testing
• Web Accessibility Audits
• Focus Groups (Online and in-person)
• Beta Testing
• Omnibus Studies
• Tracking Studies
• Specialized Studies
• Polls
• Tracking Studies
• Software Evaluations
• Product Development
• Satisfaction Surveys
• Concept Testing
• Disability Audits
• Customer Service Analysis
• Other Ad Hoc Research

Where do your panelists come from?

Panelists are being recruited from a variety of sources including but not limited to:

• Online Disability Portals
• Governor’s Committees on Employment of People with Disabilities
• DD Councils
• National Advertising
• Disability Discussion Groups and Listservs
• Cross-disability organizations
• Organizations for specific disabilities or conditions
• Local disability-related support groups
• Local senior centers
• Seniors organizations
• Programs for students who are disabled in colleges and universities
• State departments of rehabilitative services (might be called something different in your state)
• Independent living organizations

What is mystery shopping?

Mystery Shopping involves sending someone into a business posing a regular customer and having them complete an evaluation after the visit is complete.  This is commonly used to ensure proper levels of service quality. Mystery Shoppers with disabilities have a unique perspective that will be valuable to corporations and government agencies alike.  These organizations will be able to find out first hand how people with disabilities are treated in their establishments.

Will mystery shoppers be paid?

Yes. Mystery Shoppers receive compensation for assignments that they are given to complete.

Do you only need people with disabilities?

No. We are targeting the entire “Support Circle” That means we are interested in having, rehabilitation professionals, policy makers, advocates, and family members of people with disabilities in the panels as well.

How will you protect privacy?

Panelist privacy is priority one. A strict privacy policy has been developed and will be enforced. All reporting of information will be in aggregate. Our privacy policy is available at: http://www.abilitypanel.com/privacy.html

What is assistive technology?

Assistive Technology is any product/service that aids in activities of daily living. Some examples of assistive technology are:

• Screen Readers
• Voice Browsers
• Canes
• Walkers
• Speech to text dictation software

When did it launch?

The panels launched on July 3, 2006.

How does someone sign up or find out more information?

They can go to: http://www.abilitypanel.com

How much does it cost?

There is no charge to join any of our panels.

How will research be used?

Research will be used to help better educate business leaders, policy makers, and others on the perspective of people with disabilities. This will in turn lead to more accessible products and services.

Can people outside the United States Join the Panel?

Not at this time. This will be offered in the future on a country by country basis.

Who can I contact if I have further questions?

You may contact Cornelius Butler at Butler New Media, LLC by either of the following methods:

Phone: 229-246-7669
Email: cornelius@butlernewmedia.com

Creator Bio:

Below is a bio on the visionary behind the ABILITY Panels:

Cornelius L. Butler is a young person with a disability who recently graduated with full honors from Bainbridge College in Bainbridge, Georgia majoring in Computer Information Systems.  Mr. Butler is legally blind. Several years ago his local rehabilitation counselor introduced Mr. Butler to the Georgia High School/High Tech Program.  He was one of the first students involved when the program was first implemented in southwest Georgia.  He immediately understood the importance and value of the program with its primary goal to assist young people with disabilities gain employment in the fields of science and technology.
Mr. Butler participated in Georgia’s Carl Anthony Cunningham Youth Leadership Forum. Participants learn skills to empower participants to be politically active, to teach them valuable life skills, and to hear from many accomplished people in the disability rights movement.  The Forum activities develop participant confidence and demonstrate to young people that they do have a voice to make a difference.
Mr. Butler was a member of the Bainbridge College chapter of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE). This group educates students about the free enterprise system and teaches them important financial management skills.   He also served on The Bainbridge College Student Technology Committee where he advocated for students with disabilities to get the technology needed to fully participate in campus life. 
In 2001 Mr. Butler was selected to serve as one of fifteen committee members on the Presidential Task Force on the Employment of Adult with Disabilities Youth Advisory Committee whose goal was to make recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and President Bush on ways of increasing employment levels of youth with disabilities. Cornelius chaired the transportation and public awareness subcommittees.  Mr. Butler also serves on the board of BAIN, a local Center for Independent Living in Bainbridge, Georgia. 
In 2001 in an effort to make the Internet a friendlier place for people with disabilities, Mr. Butler along with his business partner launched Butler New Media, LLC. The firm offers a variety of accessibility services including consulting, training, remediation, and market research. The company’s strength and primary offering to its clients is the firm’s ability to assist in building a more accessible world allowing employees to fully engage their talents and feel valued by the company.   Butler was the first person to leave High School/High Tech in the nation to start their own business.
Since its inception Butler New Media has experienced consistent growth quarter over quarter.   As part of the success of Butler New Media, Cornelius has been invited to speak at several international, national, state, and local events. In 2003 the Georgia Lottery Corporation selected Cornelius and Butler New Media to be featured in a statewide commercial celebrating the tenth anniversary of the lottery and the Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) scholarship program.
In late 2003 the Georgia Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities along with the Georgia Department of Labor selected Butler New Media to organize and implement the nation’s first ever statewide web accessibility competition, The Georgia Accessibility Rally.   The program allows for students involved in Georgia’s High School/High Tech program to redesign their existing high school and/or other educational website to make it more accessible to people with disabilities. Students formed teams of up to five students and one mentor. Each team was provided the rally judging criteria, rally rules, and additional information on the issues people with disabilities face.   Their assignment, utilize the judging criteria and the technology and make the web sites more accessible.   At the end of the competition in April 2004 a team of judges evaluated the sites and selected the top three winning sites.  The students on the winning teams split $10,000 in scholarship money.

• $5000 1st Place Team
• $3000 2nd Place Team
• $2000 3rd Place Team

The money was used to help these students cover college costs.  Student participants also received a goodie bag full of prizes from corporate sponsors: Cingular, Microsoft, Georgia Department of Labor, Hyatt Hotels, Georgia Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and Georgia Industries for the Blind.
Mr. Butler’s plans for the future include continuing to further his education, involvement in his current activities and the continued growth of Butler New Media. The first part of 2006 Butler was given the responsibility of creating the first statewide accessible computer software design competition.  The Microsoft Accessible Software Development Competition paired teams students with disabilities in Georgia’s High School/High Tech program with mentors specially trained in accessible software design practices.  The teams were then allowed to create an accessible software program that can by used by people with disabilities. Six teams competed in two skill levels, beginner’s and intermediate. The winning teams received an all-expense paid trip to Microsoft Headquarters where they were able to participate in a roundtable with Microsoft employees.
 In mid 2006 his company will launch America’s first nationwide online panels of people with disabilities.  The panels will allow clients to conduct market research, mystery shopping, and other specialized studies all involving people with disabilities. It will provide corporate America and government agencies with real time data on the unique views of people with disabilities on various issues. The panel is expected to have 10,000+ members.  Mr. Butler continues to work tirelessly to ensure a more accessible future for people with disabilities nationwide.

ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
ITTATC Experts Network (2004-Present)
BAIN, INC BOARD MEMBER
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
ACCESSIBILITY FORUM
BAINBRIDGE COLLEGE STUDENT TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE (CHAIRPERSON 2004)
BAINBRIDGE COLLEGE BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
INTERAGENCY SUBCOMMITTEE ON DISABILITY RESEARCH
PUBLIC APPEARANCES:
ADA 11TH ANNIVERSARY SPEAKER (2001)
Disabilityinfo.gov launch keynote speaker (2002)
US-UK SEMINAR OF EXCHANGE SPEAKER (2003)
Georgia Occupational Award for Leadership (2003)
GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL/HIGH TECH STATE CONFERENCE SPEAKER (2004)
GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL/HIGH TECH AUGUSTA CONFERENCE SPEAKER (2005)

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