Transformative service and co-creation for more accessibility

To add to the understanding of the service experiences of vulnerable, stigmatized, and marginalized consumers, this research focuses upon the service experiences and co-creation of service recovery of people with disabilities over more than 20 years as evidenced by complaints cases to the Australian Human Rights Commission (2015). People with disabilities, permanent or temporary, account for nearly one in five people worldwide (World Health Organization and World Bank, 2011). By sheer population size this accounts for some 1 billion potential consumers, which is expected to rise to 1.5 billion by 2050. As a consumer group, this equates to between 10 to 20% of a population, depending upon the country. As such, organizations cannot afford to ignore these customers if they are interested in expanding their consumer and/or employee base. In the service context, it is not just the person with a disability that are recipients of service, but those who are also in their family, social or employment groups (Darcy, 2010). Hence, as organizations seek to transform service offerings to ALL consumers and community members, it is essential to understand how effectively this is operationalized within an organization and for particular customer segments, to provide service delivery and recovery that meets and, sometimes, exceeds customer expectations (O'Reilly, 2007)