Civility Does Not Replace Equity | ABIDE
Britne Jenke, CPACC, CPTD
??? Speaker | Author | Trainer | Facilitator | Accessibility Consultant | Disability Advocate | NonProfit Board Member
Welcome to Making Work Accessible! This biweekly newsletter brings you content on accessibility at work - exploring practices in learning and development and human resources - from blog posts to webinars to social media shareables and more.
In this edition, we're still talking about that recent SHRM announcement, but there's fun news too! Disability Pride Month winds down for the year, we've given the Inclusive Pixelation website a refresh (and added a new shop!), and some exciting things are coming soon.
(If you're over the SHRM conversation already and just want the fun stuff, jump down to #HashtagsGalore!)
Civility Does Not Replace Equity
SHRM is really doubling down on that equity decision, and even worse, trying to silence voices by shifting the conversation to "civility" instead.
We get it, some people just don’t like equity. People who think that social identities shouldn’t matter at work may perceive equity initiatives as promoting division and highlighting differences rather than focusing on commonalities. These perspectives often stem from a lack of understanding of the historical and systemic factors that contribute to inequality.
The call for civility - SHRM's new focus - often originates from those in positions of power or privilege. For marginalized groups, who have historically been silenced and oppressed, calls for civility can sometimes feel like a way to maintain the status quo rather than addressing root causes of inequality.
We’re done being polite about these issues. True progress requires more than just civil discussions. It demands action, policy changes, and systemic reforms that dismantle power structures that perpetuate marginalization. Civility alone cannot achieve this.
SHRM had two choices at their fork in the road: Get out of DEI altogether, or rethink their approach. I think SHRM went the wrong way at the fork – it would have been better for them to leave DEI to the DEI professionals that care about making work equitable for all.
Read the full blog post here: https://inclusivepixel.com/civility-does-not-replace-equity/
ABIDE
What if, instead of removing "E" from DEI, we started talking about ABIDE?
I’m not the first to use this acronym, but I think it’s time we bring it into wider circulation. ABIDE?is an acronym that stands for:
The landscape of diversity, equity, inclusion, and related concepts is filled with a variety of acronyms. Ultimately, the most important thing is not the acronym itself, but the actions and commitments behind it. (Do yours include accessibility?)
Read the full blog post here: https://inclusivepixel.com/abide-accessibility-belonging-inclusion-diversity-and-equity/
What Does It Mean to ABIDE?
Some people hear "abide" and think of phrases like "abide by the rules" or?"abide by a decision." While this is one definition of the word, there's another you may have encountered as well. Abide can mean "to tolerate or endure," "to wait or persist," and "to remain or stay."
This deeper understanding of ABIDE is why I chose it as the foundation for the framework. It's not just about creating a checklist of initiatives; it's about cultivating a culture of endurance, patience, and persistence.
Haven't come across this meaning yet? Read the full blog post here: https://inclusivepixel.com/what-does-it-mean-to-abide/
#HashtagsGalore
A few new hashtags I've been using around these posts about SHRM include #LeavingSHRM and #NotWithoutEquity, and of course, #ABIDE. Follow along for some interesting conversations!
Other hashtags I regularly use: #A11yBook, #MakingOnlineLearningAccessible, and #MakingWorkAccessible - my book and newsletter, of course!
And then there's these hashtags:
#A11yStats - Quick Accessibility Facts
#DisabilityQuickTips - Pride Month Etiquette Tips
There have been 5 more quick tips released since the last newsletter!
领英推荐
There's one more remaining for the last day of Disability Pride Month. Follow Inclusive Pixelation so you don't miss it!
#A11yShop - Your New Favorite Accessibility and Disability Shop!
Did you come across this news yet? We now have a shop!
Britne went looking for a printer to make some custom accessibility shirts to wear to conferences, and ended up caught in a manic episode and made the designs available to anyone and everyone.
Check out the new A11yShop at https://a11y.shop for all the designs!
#A11yBook on #A11yShop
It only made sense to move the A11yBook into the new shop too!
#DisabilityPrideMonth
We created a bunch of featured designs for Disability Pride Month, but this collection is retiring at the end of the month. A new collection will be featured August 1st, so get pride before it's gone - until next year!
What's Next?
We're adding new products, designs, and sizes all the time! Until we've got the store fully populated, enjoy special introductory pricing. We don't really make a profit on anything as it's set up now, this was simply a labor of love! But we have plans to slightly increase prices in the future with the goal of making a donation from every purchase to a disability organization. (I have a few groups in mind already, but please let me know if there’s an organization meaningful to you that I could consider partnering with!)
Inclusive Pixelation Website Refresh: https://inclusivepixel.com
Check out our shiny new homepage at https://inclusivepixel.com, with quick access to just what you're searching for.
Yes, something is still coming October 1! (It wasn't a store.) Sign up to be the first to hear about it! https://inclusivepixel.com/coming-october-1/
We also refreshed the A11yBook landing page and linked to the new shop.
I also have a new media one-sheet to download too - now that I plan to let my SHRM-SCP credential expire next year, I've stopped using it on my marketing materials. Check it out here (PDF link) - and pass it along to anyone you know that needs a speaker!
What Else?
Since the last newsletter, we also celebrated the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)! Why is this legislation important, and what has it accomplished recently? Read the blog post here: https://inclusivepixel.com/happy-anniversary-ada/
We're still finalizing some upcoming speaking engagements for the coming months, but get excited for ATD Dallas #SWLS on September 17! The Southwest Learning Summit will be a day filled with learning from some of the best. Let me know if I'll see you there!
DisruptHR Las Vegas is coming back on October 17th! If you're interested in submitting a speaking proposal, you have until July 31st, so don't wait! I participated in the inaugural event last year and had an absolute blast (read all about that and watch the recording here: https://inclusivepixel.com/disrupthr-las-vegas-2023/) - and I'm thrilled to be on a planning committee for this year's event.
I think that's about all for this edition! If you just can't wait for the next newsletter, you can catch posts as they come out by following Inclusive Pixelation on LinkedIn or subscribing to my blog at https://inclusivepixel.com/blog/ - until next time!