TBN #29
Lessons on Inclusion
This past week I spent some time in Austin, Texas. I ate plenty of Tex-Mex, strolled through downtown, and enjoyed the warm, thick Austin air. While I was there, I had the pleasure of giving a talk about disability inclusion at Knowbility’s John Slatin AccessU 2023 Conference. It was a great experience and while I shared my own professional experience, I learned a lot of new information. Below are some useful gems I shared and learned in the past week.
3 things I shared:
There is diversity within the disability community. Many disabled people have more than one (1) disability (visible, non-visible, physical, mental, etc.).
People with disabilities/disabled persons are the largest minority group in the United States (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics). Therefore, our approach to disability must be intersectional. For instance, disability affinity groups at work should also attend to gender and racial differences.
Accessibility benefits everybody. By accessibility, I mean the proactive approach that strives to remove barriers for any individual during the design stage of an event, program, or service. For example, the sidewalk ramp helps wheelchair users and people using strollers. Captions on your videos benefit people who have difficulty hearing but also provide clarity and improve language skills. You get the point.
3 things I learned (from digital accessibility experts):
Data tables are the devil. Kidding, sort of. People with screen readers have a difficult time reading data tables. Before using a data table, ask yourself is there another way you can present this information.
If you have to choose, go with a MS Word Doc over a PDF. PDFs can be made to be accessible if you input all the accessibility features. However, MS Word has more robust accessibility features and is more user friendly.
Google Docs accessibility features do not carry over to your Word Docs or PDFs. Once you download your Google Doc as a Word or PDF document, you will need to do an additional accessibility check in these programs to make sure your document is still accessible.
What other accessibility tips do you have? Let me know and I will feature them in a future newsletter.
Let’s get into it…
WEEKLY UPDATE
CLIFF NOTES: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
Does workplace discrimination lead to high blood pressure? New research says it does.
Black WGA strikers say they’ve helped streamers boost diversity — and wound up worse off. Minority writers were credited in 20% of streaming films last year, compared to 12.4% of theatrical releases, according to UCLA’s latest Hollywood Diversity Report.
Diversity Ban Watch (Update) - Gov. Ron DeSantis bans colleges from using state or federal funding on most diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. States like Texas, North Dakota, Iowa, and Tennessee are expected to follow his lead.
40 participants attending NFL Coach Accelerator Program to increase diversity in coaching.
May is Mental Health Month, National Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month (U.S.), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month, Haitian Heritage Month, Jewish-American Heritage Month, Older Americans Month. Check out the full list of heritage months and identity days on the blog.
BENTON’S BASICS: ELEMENTS OF INCLUSIVENESS
Long story short…
What are the elements of an inclusive environment? According to Fast Company, these are the essential elements of a truly inclusive workplace:
Train leadership
Seek employee feedback
Take action
Create a safe space
Enhance meetings
This seems simple, right?
HOMEWORK: STRETCH YOURSELF
What I’m Watching 📺: Hulu’s Queenmaker, a documentary about a particular celebrity/socialite blogger with an interesting backstory.
What I’m Doing 🎧: One of the ways I support my mental health is moving my body and committing to daily stretching. This video (and its meditative music) is my go-to stretch routine.
What I’m Reading This Month 📚: I’m always working on developing new habits so I decided to pick up Atomic Habits by James Clear.
DANCE BREAK: as it was
I’m a fan of Harry Styles and there’s something about this song that makes me bop my head and tap my feet.
DOUBLE TAP: WHO I’M FOLLOWING
Helen Marie is a therapist who focuses on self-work, trauma, attachment, and relationships. One of my favorite pieces of content from her is the “little guide to glimmers” based on Deb Dana’s work.
I’d love to hear from you!
What do you need to be better in work and in life? Send me a message or connect with me on social.
