Who We Are

ACCD and the Consumer Movement

ACCD has always been a proponent of the consumer movement. As early as 1980, we submitted a brief to the Special Parliamentary Committee on the Disabled and Handicapped, which outlined our belief in the importance of the consumer movement. In 1998, when we created our mission statement, we reiterated our commitment to being a consumer-driven organization.

In 2003, ACCD celebrated its 30th anniversary. In the months leading up to this milestone, we wanted to reflect on where we’d come from, how our focus had changed over the years, and where we seemed to be heading. As we evaluated our growth as an organization, we reflected on our association with and commitment to the consumer movement—which provides the cornerstone of all of our activities. We realized that, just as our organization had grown and evolved since it’s inception in 1973, so had our commitment and connection to the consumer movement.

We realized that the term consumer driven no longer captured our carefully planned, well-thought-out approach to consumerism. With thirty years behind us, we realized we were comfortable with and confident in our values and beliefs; the consumer movement philosophy no longer “drives” us, but remains solidly in the background informing and directing all aspects of our work. To mark this change in our way of thinking, we adopted the term consumer directed as a more accurate reflection of our involvement with consumerism.

The Values that Guide a Consumer-directed Organization

What Does Consumerism Mean