In a press release published last week, Raleigh, North Carolina-based disability inclusion organization Ablr announced a new partnership with the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes that, starting this year, makes Ablr the team’s official accessibility and inclusion partner.
In the announcement, Ablr said the driving force behind the collaboration is to “transform the sporting industry and create a more inclusive experience for all” and will focus on “creating an accessible experience for all stakeholders of the Carolina Hurricanes by creating accessible digital experiences, training the Hurricanes and PNC Arena staff on inclusive language and disability etiquette, and fostering a sense of community and belonging for stakeholders within this industry.”
“Now that Ablr is the Official Accessibility and Inclusion Partner of the Carolina Hurricanes, we have plans to continue evolving our relationship to include programming, ongoing inclusion training and continual testing of our content and experiences to ensure we are inclusive for all Caniacs [the team’s nickname for fans],” said Hurricanes’ chief marketing officer Mike Forman in a statement for Ablr’s press release.
For Ablr’s part, co-founder Mike Iannelli said in part in his own statement that the company is “beyond grateful for the love and support” of the Hurricanes, adding the partnership with the club will “be a transformation not only across the great state of North Carolina, but throughout the NHL and other major sporting leagues and franchises.”
Longtime readers of the column may recall my interview with Ablr co-founder and chief executive officer John Samuel in November 2020. He was a college student when doctors diagnosed him with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative condition which would cause Samuel to lose his vision. Of his daily duties at Ablr, Samuel articulated his primary goal as “[removing] all the barriers to make sure all qualified people, no matter their ability, can be successful at any job, in any company.”
The Hurricanes moved to North Carolina prior to the 1997–98 season after many years playing in Connecticut as the Hartford Whalers. The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2005–06, beating the Edmonton Oilers 4–3 in the best-of-7 series. In 2001–02, Carolina lost in the Finals to the Detroit Red Wings, 4–1, in their only other Finals appearance.
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