Media Spokesperson

Inclusion Solutions and Patrick Hughes Available as a Resource

If you're working on a story about inclusion of people with disabilities, you've come to the right place. Inclusion Solutions and founder Patrick Hughes is dedicated to finding affordable, common-sense ways for people with disabilities to gain access to restaurants, businesses, shopping areas, polling places and more.

Prior to Inclusion Solutions, Pat Hughes previously founded the non-profit "Natural Ties" and served as its executive director. "Natural Ties" was dedicated to fostering relationships and friendships between people with disabilities and those without. Under his leadership the organization grew to include 14 chapters around the country.

"When I first joined Inclusion Solutions in 2005, Pat Hughes was concerned about how we would communicate with people outside the company since I am deaf/hard of hearing. I had a video phone installed and Pat even learned out to use it.

He gives me every opportunity to interact with potential customers, CEOs and business owners and to represent the company at tradeshows and meetings. Pat has a passion for the disability community and works to make the world accommodate us. "
-Carey Siegal, Inclusion Solutions, Chicago, Illinois

Hughes' work on promoting social inclusion led him to realize that not only psychological barriers existed for the disabled but that real physical barriers impeded interaction—going out to a restaurant, shopping, or visiting an office. He began talking to business owners in his home town of Evanston, Illinois, and learned that some were aware of the access issues and some were not. Most were willing to make changes but had only been presented solutions that were beyond the economic means.

Pat Hughes is known for his dedication and enthusiasm for connecting people who struggle with access issues with the businesses and facilities that can make a difference—and even a profit!—with affordable and effective solutions. With connections throughout the disabled and business communities, Hughes can also connect journalists, writers and reporters with experts, advocates and regular citizens who can provide personal stories or quantitative analysis on disablity and senior access issues.

To arrange an interview or for more information, call us toll-free at 1.866.232.5487 or click here to email.

Video Clips

• Natural Ties Channel 9 WCPO Cincinnati News 1994
• Natural Ties, short film (1991)

Print Media

• All About Access: For drivers with disabilities, pump accessibility equals loyalty, CPS Independent, The Magazine for the Independent Convenience Retailer

  "What we're talking about here is the law," says Hughes, referring to the ADA legislation of 1990 through which public businesses are required to meet certain accessibility standards. "But it's also a customer-service issue. It's good business. If you can serve the disabled and senior population, you can serve any population."
  

• Life Changing Technology: How may I take your order, Hearing Health

  "The solution is simple, dignified and effective," Hughes said. "We see all the time that parties want things that work: the disabled community wants to be a customer and businesses like fast-food restaurants want the chance to gain the loyalty of an important segment of the U.S. population."

• Making good food fast, accessible: Romeoville Culver's operators Ron and Debbie Dalrymple stand beside their store's drive-through and their new accessible OrderAssist program, The Herald News

  "Survey after survey indicates that a store that provides good service, including accessibility, gains incredible shopping loyalty from customers who know that the store will do the simple things that make a shopping expericne dignified and easy. It's a very sizable market," said Patrick Hughes, Jr., president of Inclusion Solutions.

See more clips in our News/Video section.