New US Panel Focuses on Consumers with Disabilities

Kantar has partnered with US non-profit agency disABILITYincites to create what is described as the country's largest panel of consumers with disabilities.

disABILITYincites provides research development, technical services and research advocacy, aiming to eradicate the exclusion of people with disabilities from market research. According to the firm, the 56.7 million people with disabilities in the US have previously been under-represented in marketing studies.

Kantar's agency Lightspeed Research has set up the new panel with a sample of 5,000 people with disabilities. In addition, the organizations have launched a new study called 'Pathways to Greater Inclusion of People with Disabilities', which will examine the segment's consumption behaviour, unmet needs due to accessibility issues, and other areas of focus. The study's aim is to stimulate the creation of new products and services that will enable people with disabilities to live more independently and participate more fully in all areas of life.

disABILITYincites founder Tonya Deniz (pictured) comments: 'When companies use research for the purpose of creating new products and services that truly address the unique challenges people with disabilities face, we all win. People with disabilities, who have an annual disposable income of $220 billion in the US, enjoy greater independence after having their needs met.'

Preliminary results from the study will be available in October 2014, and all study results will be made available by mid-2015.

Web sites: www.kantar.com and www.disabilityincites.org .