Takeaways:
– “[Disability] is predominantly framed as a biomedical issue or a technical one in terms of legal compliance. That framing forecloses any other discussion or experience or identity or social power.”
– “If diversity actually valued disability, I could have people to look up to as a ….”
– “If you recruit disabled students, are they going to feel like their disability is a burden that the school is complying with as it’s the law?”
– “Higher ed could really do this work, so then it comes down to choice; are you going to choose to do it or not?”
ideascape View: This article frames, particularly well, the challenges and questions faced at the onset of addressing “diversity” in any industry: diversity looked at as simply a compliance issue, lack of role models or allies, and the feeling of being a burden vs. a valuable part of the community.
As we meet with teams and read “best” practices, what’s been most challenging is reckoning with that fact that many continue to “strategize” and “plan” around DEI compliance activities vs. formation of programs that align with business outcomes. One such example is how one company built an external Diversity Committee with key vendors and customers for different talent purposes. The question is – how has your organization been thinking?
