Can you imagine having 84 surgeries before the age of 50? Think about the number. Who could survive that many, mentally or physically, except a superhero, and her name is Stacy Hirschberg. Stacy’s journey with disabilities is eye-opening from a customer, employee, and patient perspective.
In honor of International Day of People with Disabilities, I’m bringing Stacy’s stories to life to raise awareness, communication, appreciation, empathy, and more inclusion in and out of the workplace. If even one person’s life is impacted positively from my interview with Stacy, then it will have been worth all the time to produce the article and video.
I encourage you to DO something differently!
- If you own a business or lead an organization
Make it EASIER for your employees with disabilities to do their jobs, and feel accepted. Create a company culture where everyone feels included and diversity is the norm, not an afterthought. Similarly, focus on customer experiences too. People buy from brands based on how they feel when interacting with companies. They will be more brand loyal when it’s a low level of effort. (Learn more about customer journeys). - If you are in the medical field, a caregiver, or work in the front office
You own the patient experience no matter what your job title is. It’s not hard to interact with individuals in a personal manner and make them feel cared for. Not only will they come back, but also refer you too. - If you are living with disabilities
Learn from Stacy’s stories about gaining confidence, self-advocacy, and forming a support team. More details in the video.
By the way, there are many disabilities that are not visible to the human eye. Those stories and lessons learned to improve company culture and employee experiences are coming soon.
Tell Me What You Think.
What will you do differently to create better experiences for friends, colleagues, family members, and even strangers who have disabilities?
View Interview transcript here.
Special Thank You
To Stacy for openly sharing and making an impact. If you have questions or want to speak to Stacy, you can email her at [email protected]. You can also reach me, Stacy Sherman, at DoingCXRight.com.
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