5 Brands Leading the Charge in Disability Inclusion

While Google may be an industry leader when it comes to disability inclusion, it’s not the only one. In fact, encouraging more brands to broaden their marketing is why Google made its Accessible Marketing Playbook public. “We didn’t want to keep it for ourselves—that’s moving our needle forward," Liu said. "What we want is the industry to move forward." What other brands are leading the charge in making overtures to disabled consumers? We asked KR Liu, Google’s head of brand accessibility who appears on Adweek's March cover, for her top five picks. • Mastercard’s Touch Card. As credit cards move away from embossed names and numbers, they leave behind the world’s 2.2 billion blind and partially sighted population. In October 2021, Mastercard remedied that with cards featuring notches that identify cards by touch—a square notch for credit, round for debit and triangular for prepaid. The idea was “really smart,” Liu said, proving that “simple things go a long way” when it comes to being inclusive. • Porsche. Last year, Porsche signed Oliver Lam-Watson—a double Paralympic medalist in wheelchair fencing—as its public face. A man who’s lost the use of a leg might seem an unlikely endorser for a sports car, but that was the point. “I can drive an automatic car,” the athlete said in a statement. “That’s why my GT3 has a PDK transmission.” Liu lauds Porsche for creative thinking like this. “It shows Oliver’s human story not only as a Paralympian, but his love for cars,” she said. • Skims’ Adaptive Collection. Co-founded by Swedish fashion entrepreneur Jens Grede and Kim Kardashian, Skims—with its wide range of colors to match skin tones and sizes to match actual bodies—was already an inclusive brand. But it upped the ante in 2022 with its Adaptive Collection. Designed for people with limited mobility, the pieces feature hook-and-eye closures that can be put on while the wearer is seated. “I really love what Skims did,” Liu said. Kardashian, she added, “is so influential” already, and the collection “recognizes there’s a business need.” Selma Blair (right) was named chief creative officer of founder Terri Bryant's (left) Guide Beauty brand. • Guide Beauty. This makeup brand caught Liu’s attention when it named actress Selma Blair, who has multiple sclerosis, as chief creative officer. Ergonomically designed, Guide’s products can be easily applied by those with limited hand mobility—and everyone else. As Blair commented in a company video, “You just have to think, ‘What’s going to work for more people?’” Liu gives the brand high marks for “show[ing] the power of inclusive design with and for the disability community.” • Hillman Grad Bookstore. Lena Waithe, an Emmy-winning producer, writer and creator of color, operates a production company called Hillman Grad, which recently launched a capsule apparel collection under the name Hillman Grad Bookstore. Head over to the website and you’ll see a looping video featuring 10 models (plus one golden retriever) modeling the clothes—everyone from actress Lauren “LoLo” Spencer (who has muscular dystrophy) to Andraéa LaVant, one of the consultants who worked on Google’s Accessible Marketing Playbook. In addition to ethnic diversity, Liu said, “it’s great to see influential leaders in film using their platform to elevate disability representation in their community.” This story is part of Adweek’s New Consumer digital package, which focuses on diversity in all the ways it manifests for consumers—including gender, race, age and ability—and how marketers need to reach people where they are and meet their unique needs. Why Google Went ‘All In’ on Inclusive Marketing

New Consumer

5 Brands Leading the Charge in Disability Inclusion

From Mastercard to Skims, KR Liu picks the top companies helping the industry 'move forward'

Robert Klara

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Robert Klara