Welcome friends and supporters!
Today we start our blog!
Our first post is a way for us to answer some FAQ's about ourselves, Rise, and the Ring In Inclusion Initiative. Let's dive or roll in!
What is RISE As One?
Rise is a grassroots movement created to foster inclusion and access for people with limited mobility and speech to local businesses and public venues.
How does RISE foster inclusion and access for people with disabilities?
Rise educates local businesses and venue owners about opportunities to make their location more accessible to disabled customers and provides resources on easy, inexpensive solutions that make the location more inclusive.
Every week Jonathan meets with local business owners and managers and share how they can make their venue more accessible to a person with a disability. They can add a bell! It's easy, inexpensive and makes a huge difference for someone like me- who can't get in or ask for help easily.
Together they work out a plan for the business to support RISE. Often the process looks like this:
- Speak to a manager or to your businesses’ corporate office to request approval to add a Wireless Doorbell and a Ring to Request Assistance sign to an entrance at your location.
- Order a sign and wireless doorbell from Amazon or other corporate approved retailer. Typically available for less than $35 USD.
- Once you receive the order, place the bell and sign in a visible location by an entrance. Both items come with peel and stick backing for easy installation.
How We Plan to Use Donations
Print Marketing and Educational Materials
It is important for us that people lean more about making public venues more accessible. We can help spread the word by providing an easy to understand brochure.
Assemble Ring Bell for Assistance Kits
We believe all businesses should be inclusive and we want to make it as simple as possible by putting together kits that include a sign and a wireless bell that are available for purchase through a Rise volunteer. (the kit funds will be continuously re-invested to provide better access for more people.) We will be using the donations for events that we feel that are important to my cause of helping bring awareness to the disabled citizens of Coconut Creek and other neighboring cities!
Website and Volunteer Development
We know that the fastest way to share information is online. We've started by creating a very basic website but we need your help to make it better.
Why I Started Rise?
Jonathan started RISE because he wanted to help people who have disabilities like his be able to participate more in their community.
This cause is important because it helps open real doors to opportunities like shopping independently.
It's a small change that makes a big difference in the lives of people with mobility challenges because we feel heard and included in our local community.
I hope that I continue to receive support from businesses like yours so I can also make a difference one door at a time.
Why is being inclusive important for local business?
Making small changes to your location will give customers more independence while visiting your store. A positive customer experience will create good-will and the more shoppers that are able to visit the location the more sales you can expect.
How Can You Help?
Teach Other
Share what you know about the importance of accessibility and inclusion
Donate
Every dollar helps. Contribute to our GoFundMe campaign and share the link with your friends, your family, anyone you think may want to help or keep the sharing going. Visit: https://gofund.me/7d1dd08b
Contribute Your Time
If you like what we are doing and want to work toward a more inclusive and accessible world send a message to our team
Thanks again for being such awesome suporters. Check back often to see more updates about RISE!
-Paola