We recently connected with Mason Metzger and have shared our conversation below.
Mason, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?
My key piece of advice for companies looking to create a more inclusive workplace is to seek feedback from employees on what would make the workplace more accessible for them, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.
When we think about increasing the inclusiveness and accessibility in the workplace, there is such a high degree of variation in terms of individual needs. Therefore, seeking feedback from your team members is an excellent place to start.
My second piece of advice is to work with a company such as Universal Design Works to obtain a neutral, third-party perspective so that you can get actionable insights from our team, and also have a strategic partner to help you bring your vision to life regarding making the workplace more accessible. The bottom line is the world needs a more accessible workplace.
My company was born out of my own need for an employment situation that provides an experience that allows me to thrive.
For example, when I attempted to pursue traditional forms of employment, because I have spastic cerebral palsy and am a wheelchair user, I need more advanced accommodations such as flexible scheduling, working from home, and a private bathroom, as I require the aid of someone else.
The dominant paradigm for accessibility in the workplace assumes that if someone requires assistance with using the restroom throughout the workday, these services should be provided through the Medicaid waiver. The hours provided by a Medicaid waiver that can be used for community activities or in the workplace are extremely limited. As a result, I know several people who work traditional in-person jobs who dehydrate themselves throughout the workday, restrict what they can eat, and take other measures to reduce or eliminate how often they use the restroom.
The good news is, the pandemic allowed employers to see that allowing employees to work from home is a way of increasing accessibility in the workplace. However, many people thrive in the in-person workplace because of the amount of collaboration, relationship-building, and strategic thought that becomes accessible when people are able to work together in person.
In my view, working from home levels the playing field to some degree. However, it excludes people with certain types of disabilities from fully engaging in the workplace. This is why applying universal design to policies, procedures, environments, and all aspects of a business is crucial.
The truth is, when you make the workplace more accessible through integrating universal design principles, which aim to make the world more accessible for everyone beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act, it creates employees who are more engaged, has the power to transform your culture, and allows you to build relationships with internal and external individuals.
This makes it possible for your organization to serve as a model of how universal design and an overall more accessible workplace can look.
Each organization is unique, therefore when I started my company, I wanted to make sure that all of our services are customizable. We do not provide the exact same services from one client to another. We take a strategic approach, allowing us to mold our strategies to fit the individual client’s needs and goals. We do our best to achieve the desired outcomes.
Research shows that people with disabilities are less likely to pursue employment opportunities because of a lack of accessibility within the workplace. When a company chooses to integrate universal design principles into their business strategies, it encourages people with disabilities and non-disabled team members to contribute to the success of the organization for a longer period than if they were not able to have their needs met.
When employees have access to the resources, support, and development opportunities they need, they love to share their experience with people, which allows a company to attract new talent as it expands.
Companies often focus on the integration of universal design in the workplace or in society by focusing on making sure buildings, restrooms, and other facilities are accessible. They often forget that the attitudes people and institutions hold related to people with disabilities are often the primary barrier to a world that allows everyone to engage regardless of their ability level.
One of the most impactful moments related to making a community accessible was when I could open the door for the first time using a button on a key fob rather than relying on the assistance of another person to open the door. I could allow them to walk through first.
This illustration is another one of the cornerstones of our philosophy at Universal Design Works. I am not going to tell someone how to run their business. I am going to be your partner dedicated to providing advice that helps a company get from where you are to where you want to go.
Universal design is the foundation of creating a culture where innovation thrives.
There is a lot of discussion with regard to the future of accessibility in the workplace given that we recently entered a presidential transition period. My hope for accessibility in the workplace is that universal design eventually becomes a distinct feature of our daily lives—not just a way of enhancing reputation or making the investment because funds are available.
In order to truly transform our world, we must recognize that everyone benefits from enhancing accessibility, cultivating relationships, and creating a more enriching experience. When the workplace is not accessible, it diminishes the potential people have to contribute meaningfully to society.
Regardless of whether or not a team member has a disability, when the workplace is not accessible, it stifles innovation, growth, and the ability to tackle new opportunities on the horizon. Too often, individuals support the line of thinking that if it is not broken, do not fix it. This motto is one of the reasons why innovation does not happen.
Although the Americans with Disabilities Act intends to promote equal access, there is a tremendous amount of grey area concerning what is “reasonable” or what poses a fiscal burden or financial hardship on a business, an educational institution, or another area of life.
The bottom line is integrating accessibility into the foundation of your buildings, workspaces, communities, and business strategies is the starting point for your organization to reach its fullest potential.
I help people to recognize that everyone has the ability to contribute meaningfully in their own way when they are given the support and resources they need.
Individuals, regardless of whether or not they have a disability, need to be seen in the workplace. The removal of physical barriers is where the story begins not where it ends. When organizations take on the full scope of what universal design means, it has the power to transform organizations and propelling them into the future.
The integration of the universal design into business strategies represents a significant return on investment prioritizing making systems, experiences, environments, and communities more enriching.
Mason, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I would describe myself as a tenacious, visionary leader who loves connecting with people through building authentic relationships. Early on in my career, I began to notice that I have a gift for putting my own thoughts into words. Then I realized that as a consultant, I could use this gift to help organizations tackle new opportunities, bringing projects from conception to completion.
Someone once told me, “Asking questions is how you learn,” and I have not stopped asking questions ever since.
In 2012, I was sitting in an assembly, and that was the first time I heard about what it meant to live life on a mission. At that moment, I realized that my story was worth sharing. The discovery of my mission in life was the launch pad that began my speaking journey.
From 2014 to 2017, I delivered talks to various audiences, including schools, churches, youth events, corporate gatherings, luncheons, fundraisers, and many others. My two favorite speaking engagements have been speaking on the floor at the Indiana House of Representatives in 2017, where they adopted a resolution in my honor recognizing my strength and courage.
My second most memorable speaking engagement was when I spoke at the 2019 international conference held by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
As an undergraduate student, I used all of the life experiences I had gained to that point, and I already had a solid understanding of how to advocate for my needs in a hierarchical educational setting. As a result, in 2019, I received the Yes I Can Award from the International Council for Exceptional Children. This award recognized the self-advocacy strategies I used in higher education during my undergraduate experience.
When I was pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I realized that the world was not designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities by default.
I began to see how advocacy requires answering a critical question: Why? If I could figure out why something was not possible, then I could work toward a win-win scenario for everyone.
For the most part, I found that when it came to the removal of physical barriers, there was frequently a way to achieve a win-win scenario. Advocating for policy changes and dealing with the world’s negative attitudes and perceptions related to people with disabilities was a crucial challenge.
I was not able to overcome those challenges entirely in undergrad.
I was able to move the needle in the right direction. My advocacy efforts created a ripple effect, demonstrating to other people with disabilities that they could also attempt to live life to the fullest through advocating for their own needs, building relationships, and excelling academically.
I share these details because they illustrate why the world needs universal design integrated into the systems and infrastructure we engage with in our daily lives.
As I was wrapping up my undergraduate degree, I had the opportunity to participate in a leadership development program for rising leaders in the Fort Wayne, Indiana, area, which is about one hour outside of where I live. Most of the people in my cohort were high-level managers to senior-level executives from area businesses. I was likely one of the youngest participants. I later found out that there was another program for young professionals.
The experience had three primary components: monthly workshops on leadership development topics, the opportunity to have an internship on a nonprofit board, and a community action project. Participating in this program was one of the most enriching experiences of my career, and I knew that was where I was supposed to be.
The community action project my group selected was for the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. Through my work with the group members on that project, it encouraged the leadership team at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo to ask me to provide consulting services to build on the momentum created by the initial project through Leadership Fort Wayne.
My engagement with the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo was the flagship project that led to the creation of my company, Universal Design Works.
Our services are custom—there is no one-size-fits-all approach to life. That is what inspired me to create a firm that operates like a concierge doctor, meaning I am accessible to my clients when they need me.
Our approach allows me to deliver a high-touch customer experience, which is critical given the type of opportunities I am helping clients navigate. My business model also allows me to not only differentiate myself from my competition but also demonstrates what universal design principles look like in the workplace. I have the flexibility to take care of my own needs while simultaneously working on high-impact projects.
Our services fall into two categories: the integration of universal design principles into our clients’ environments, systems, operations, and other business areas. The other service is strategic planning, helping our clients serve their customers and tackle new opportunities.
Due to the customizable nature of our services, there may be some overlap between the two services. The delivery often involves a combination of direct observation, virtual benchmarking research, stakeholder engagement, site visits, individual interviews, presentations, and the creation of strategic documents. My job is to help people acknowledge where they are and help them get to where they want to go.
At Universal Design Works, we aim to help our clients navigate three primary opportunities: providing strategic advice, helping clients understand their vision, cast the vision, and execute the vision—whatever that may look like for the individual client, and providing a neutral third-party perspective to foster growth.
All of these services are designed to help our clients go from feeling a lack of momentum, uncertainty, and frustration to experiencing joy from working collaboratively, understanding customer needs, uncovering opportunities, and having a clear roadmap to guide their future endeavors.
What sets me apart from others in my industry is that all the services are customizable. We do not primarily focus on integrating universal design principles into buildings. We use universal design principles as inspiration to enhance the work our clients are already doing. Our team provides advice, strategic support, and actively listens so that we can calibrate and achieve exceptional results.
I am not in this business for a one-off project. I desire to build lasting relationships with clients, transforming organizations and communities one step at a time.
I am most proud of the fact that I have not given up.
I have a strong desire to be independent because of my dependence on others for activities most non-disabled people take for granted. Recently, I realized that it is not so much about independence or dependence—it is about creating community where you are.
Being part of a community allows us to make one another stronger as we navigate challenges, opportunities, and celebrations in life.
It may surprise people to know that my disability is one of the smallest aspects of my identity, yet it consumes most of my time. As a result, I strategically manage each moment so that I can dedicate resources to being a strategic advisor, serving as the organizational champion my clients need, and demonstrating what it looks like to live life to the fullest despite what others perceive as weaknesses, labels, or limitations.
Eventually, those labels, weaknesses, or limitations will become areas of strength, confidence, and play a role in transforming communities, lives, and systems.
The main thing I want potential clients, new followers, and fans to know about me, my brand, and my work is that I aim to serve people.
My guiding principles include treating people the way I would want to be treated, and that effort alone does not equal excellence.
People with disabilities are not the only ones who benefit from the work I am doing. That is why we consistently work with event planners, tourist attractions, healthcare systems, and other industries to make accessibility for all people a foundational element of their strategies.
Inclusion beyond compliance is necessary—not so people can simply exist, but so they can grow, thrive, and accomplish more epic things than they could ever imagine.
Creating community through accessibility benefits everyone, regardless of whether or not someone has a disability or another type of challenge.
On the surface, access, belonging, and inclusion are buzzwords that almost immediately draw our attention to compliance.
Compliance should be the floor, not the ceiling.
I exist to help people redefine access, belonging, inclusion, and what is possible by focusing on the human and strategic elements of impacting culture, cultivating community, and inspiring action.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
There are three topics that have contributed to building my reputation in my market.
First is engaging with people on social media platforms, particularly LinkedIn.
I created my LinkedIn account a few years before I began actively incorporating it into my social media strategy. What took my LinkedIn presence to the next level was working with an individual who helped me refine my personal brand during the pandemic. He also provided helpful tips and tricks on how to take my marketing to the next level.
My favorite features on LinkedIn include the ability to comment on posts that I find fascinating. I also enjoy writing articles about various topics that my audience and their connections would be interested in. Additionally, I use LinkedIn as an opportunity to showcase the work I am doing.
I have received several opportunities to share my story in mediums like this because journalists and public relations professionals see that I have developed a consistent brand image, and they find my story engaging. As a result, they want their audience to hear my story.
The second way I have built my reputation is by prioritizing social media, connecting with readers, potential clients, and other interested parties by producing high-quality educational or motivational videos. These videos provide a brief demo of how I can help clients tackle opportunities and allow me to connect authentically with people.
As society continues to become more reliant on technology, video marketing will remain a predominant feature in my marketing strategy. I would say that video marketing is one of the key differentiators for any business, but especially in my niche.
The final contributor to building my reputation and maintaining it has been working with an executive coach who specializes in sharpening communication skills across all mediums. She has helped me refine my approach to preparing presentations, client meetings, and presenting my story more succinctly.
My executive coach has helped me ensure that my disability does not dictate the way I come across to people, regardless of the medium. For example, she identified that I need to focus on short sentences so that I can breathe as I speak, which helps people understand, process, and relate to what I share. We have also tackled topics such as how to position the camera so that I present myself as confident, credible, and clear.
The bottom line is the best investment you can make is in yourself. The return on investment is nearly unquantifiable because of the positive impact a coach can have on your life, your satisfaction with your work, and your ability to communicate more effortlessly.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I have learned several lessons throughout my life. One that I had to unlearn is the temptation to say yes to every opportunity.
When we say yes to all of the opportunities that come our way, our calendar becomes so full that we do not have any margin remaining for other activities that are just as essential as the work we do daily.
Think about it, as business professionals, we do not operate our businesses without covering all of our expenses. These expenses may include. business expansion, having a rainy-day fund, among other priorities. A business would not last without margin. Unless, of course, you are operating a not-for-profit organization. But even then, the organization still needs to have reserves in order to continue existing.
Why do we treat our life any differently?
For each one of us, creating margin is going to look different.
For me, I know that my strategic priorities include taking care of my physical needs. Incorporating 45 to 90 minutes of daily exercise. Going to my weekly growth group, which is made up of young adults like me. Scheduling time to work on client activities, business operations, and miscellaneous tasks. I also reserve a portion of my afternoons on Fridays to attend a weekly meeting with a leadership group in my community.
Having my strategic priorities identified creates the necessary margin to avoid burnout. I still occasionally experience pile-up. Which I would define as becoming overwhelmed with the tasks on your to-do list. However, because I have margin, I can respond to unexpected circumstances without being crushed by the weight of life. Which leads to burnout.
The bottom line for this portion of the story is to say yes to activities where you can maximize the positive impact of your strengths.
For example, in my own life, I recently stepped down from two private company boards of directors that I sat on for several years to create margin for the opportunities on the horizon. Although this was a difficult choice to make, I knew it needed to happen. I appreciate opportunities where I can encourage strategic discussion and collaboration rather than simply going through an agenda.
For each of us, the opportunities that resonate the most will look different. I wanted to share that example because I now know that boards that focus solely on governance activities are not ones where I can maximize the positive impact of my abilities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.masonmetzger.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motivationalmason/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-metzger/
Image Credits
The black and White image as well as the image with the Bible verse on it were taken
Carrie Sheets