Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

Dear nilejustice,

As much as you might want fun titles, I urge caution.

You're dealing here with Federal law, and having dealt with the US Department of Justice, I can tell you that the ADA is NOT a subject to
be dealt with lightly.

As the uncle of a niece with cerebral palsy, and as someone who has worked with people with disabilities to increase awareness and training for employees and managers, I can tell you first hand that "catchy" and "fun" are NOT words that spring to mind when discussing topics that address working with people with disabilities, or that apply when presenting information to do with people with disabilities to all employees.

Secondly, and this applies to ALL marketing, "catchy" and "fun" are not selling strategies.

This is a serious subject you're dealing with here, and unless you ARE person with a disability, it's not really an area where you play for amusement.

To make an impression, might your titles work better by clearly
stating what it is you're offering and making those points in clear, non threatening, non amusement seeking language?

I'm not talking here about being overly politically correct, I'm talking about being direct and to the point but also being sympathetic.

Your "need" for something catchy isn't the point here: what are your customers looking for? What specific questions do they have that your seminar needs to answer?

So, consider the following:

Title 1:
"Working With People With Disabilities: An Overview of ADA Code in the Workplace."

Ttitle 2:
"Working With People With Disabilities: The Manager's and Supervisor's Guide to Employee's Performance and Attendance— Can's Can'ts, Should's and Must's"

When it comes to managers and supervisors managing the conduct, work performance, and attendance of an employee with a disability, be clear that the ADA Act is not a requirement, it's a LAW.

As a law it's there to do two things: uphold the rights of the employee, and it's there to support the obligations of the employer to ensure that all steps that can be reasonably taken are taken to ensure the employee is treated EQUALLY.

Sadly, a "catchy" and "fun" title will NOT help bring attention to what might otherwise be considered a boring topic, and direct impact or not, the ADA is an Act that ALL employees and supervisors need to take seriously—the point here is not what a person with a disability can do that matters, it's who they are.

I hope this.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Gary Bloomer - You took this question totally out of context. By the way, I have a Juris Doctor in Law.

Jay Hamilton-Roth, thank you for your response.