IBM Receives Barbara Jordan Media Award for Print Advertising

IBM has been selected to receive the Barbara Jordan Media Award for its advertising campaign featuring images of people with disabilities succeeding in the workplace. This is the second award IBM has been honored with for the ad campaign. IBM was presented with the award at a ceremony in Corpus Christi, Texas, on April 22.

The ad campaign, launched by Austin-based IBM Accessibility Center, portrays people with disabilities in empowered, productive work scenarios. The lead copy in the ad, "Today, access to information influences what people can or cannot do," is a key message that accessibility is about making information more accessible to more people. The ads also reinforce IBM's commitment to developing innovative technologies that advance the cause of accessibility.

Judges liked the messages in the ads about information access and employment contributions of people with hearing, visual and mobility disabilities. Using actors with the actual disabilities they represent can also advance the hiring of people with disabilities and awareness and understanding in the advertising industry. The ads appeared in Exceptional Parent and Ability magazines, Government Technology, Public CIO, Washington Technology, Federal Computer Week and more.

Established in 1982 by the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, the Barbara Jordan Media Awards recognize communicators for "accurately and progressively portraying people with disabilities." The committee grants the award annually to communicators in a variety of fields for increasing public understanding of the problems and potential of people with disabilities. The awards are named for the late Barbara Jordan, one of Texas' foremost spokeswomen for the rights of all people.

For the same ad campaign, IBM also won a 2004 award of honor from the National Business & Disability Council for Advertising Campaign of the Year.