Business

Everybody Should Be Able to Hug a Tree

08.20.2020

Every once in awhile in the marketing business you get the opportunity to contribute your abstract creative skills toward groups making a concrete difference in the world.

One of our first clients at SRH was The Ability Center, whose mission is to provide people impacted by disabilities with a daily opportunity to be fit, active, healthy, and to play. We developed a campaign to make parks more accessible and helped bring awareness to their noble cause.

More about this after the jump. First, the latest.

Latest marketing headlines & resources

Our current thinking – Every body should be able to hug a tree

I read this headline a few days ago: “Milwaukee County Parks are a Godsend in this Socially Distanced Summer.”

Who could disagree with this statement? People with disabilities.

Many of our parks might as well have “NO WHEELCHAIRS ALLOWED” signs posted all over because they’re not accessible for people with disabilities:

  • Playgrounds and other amenities are barricaded by hazardous terrain; even if they’re reachable, they don’t have any equipment for kids with disabilities
  • Ramps are few and far between
  • Nature trails for wheelchairs don’t exist

“Milwaukee County Parks are a Godsend FOR ABLE-BODIED PEOPLE in this Socially Distanced Summer.” That’s how the headline should read.

Thankfully our longtime friend, partner and source of inspiration Damian Buchman—along with the leaders of Milwaukee County Parks and many others—are on a mission to change this, one park at a time… and they’ve let us come along for the ride.

Two weeks ago, Damian and leaders from his organization The Ability Center and The Parks unveiled permanent wheelchair ramps at Bradford Beach.

Bradford is now “The Most Accessible Beach in America.” See the transformation here.