Creating Inclusive Environments

[Dr. Janet A Gray-Wade]

Inclusion is about the actions we take each day in both our personal and professional lives. Think about a specific conversation or situation where you have been or can be exposed to new ideas and perspectives, walk in someone else's shoes, or encourage those who may feel like an outsider to join a conversation and give them a voice. I bet you will discover something new about yourself and others too.

Through RJE each of us contributes to creating an inclusive environment — we all have a role to play. RJE's culture is the result of our behaviors, our personal commitment, our curiosity, how we collaborate, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same.

In turn, our inclusive culture inspires us to try new things, speak openly, and be bold. It brings us together in ways that help us stand out. Our inclusive culture empowers all of us to connect, belong, and grow.

Please share your thoughts on the role you will play in Creating Inclusive Environments

[rebecca]

For me, creating inclusive environments means being willing to change your mind about things, and realize that we each have a certain perspective that is influenced by our backgrounds and socialization. We can help each other and students by being open and vulnerable about how we approach our lives and our relationships, and know that we are all still learning, and that no one knows everything. When we learn something new, it can help us BE a new way, and change our behavior. With changed behavior, we can have a positive impact on the world.

[lauralei]

This is such a great prompt. 

Inclusivity, in my opinion, centers around accessibility, which is something I care deeply about. Yet I feel like I have just barely scratched the surface of what accessibility looks like. When I hear the word “accessible” I typically think ADA, ramps, automatic doors, wider bathroom stalls, etc. But the more I try to create/cultivate accessible environments, the more I realize just how little I know. There are all kinds of ways to create accessibility that aren’t just physical, but cultural, emotional, and spiritual too. And, from what I’ve learned especially from Black and Brown disability justice activists, accessibility is a continuous conversation that goes all the way down to the roots of how we gather, how we communicate, and how we share space. 

Restorative Justice touches so much on healing that it just makes logical sense that we would also care about accessibility.

In RJE, I have several roles, but through the Logistics & Events chair role, I feel I can help make our spaces more accessible. However, in the past, my focus has primarily been on the more tangible, logistics-based accessibility work. In the future, I hope I can dive much deeper and have conversations with RJE members and the wider community about how we can hold space for one another. 

[Dr. Janet A Gray-Wade]

I feel that the key components to compassion and change do encompass one's willingness to be open-minded and vulnerable to make a positive impact in our world. I also feel in order to create and support inclusive environments we do need to reflect on our own perspective, and possible implicit biases.

Accessibility is definitely an important concept in inclusivity and equity. A concept that has been and continues to be overlooked, only in the past 10 years have I witnessed "accessibilities" in the educational arena in regards to language interpreters.

As the Equity Coordinator for a school district in California, I recall the first time I attended a monthly student awards ceremony at one of our sites. The awards were given on a stage; a stage without ADA access, two students in wheelchairs, positioned in front of the stage, were handed their awards by their teachers (not the principal). Not having the same experience of center stage recognition and picture taking opportunity (stage was decorated). I visited all our sites that day and I discovered that all our sites had the required ADA upgrades for building and restroom access; none had ADA access to the stage. It took three months to secure facility funding and ensure ADA access at all 11 sites. Meanwhile, all award ceremonies where held in front of the stage (floor level) to ensure "Equitable Access".

Another incident involved a staff member (school psychologist) that has a degenerative nerve disorder, who filed a Title IX discrimination compliant. The staff member needed access to wheelchair parking. However, wheelchair parking that was currently only available in the main school parking lot at all sites (staff parking not permitted). It only took 3 days to designate and paint wheelchair designated parking spaces in each staff parking lot.

The reason why I shared those stories is that no one: principal, teachers/staff, student or parents had an issue with the traditional/historic way things were done, "Access Overlooked"!