Join the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Conversation

The diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) lens functions as a filter through which people view society and by which society views people.        

The diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) lens functions as a filter through which people view society and by which society views people.

For me, a DEIA lens is inherent in how I show up in the world. It’s not a set of policies and procedures to be followed. More, it’s an epistemological and ontological approach to life.

The DEIA conversation is important to me personally and professionally. With open dialogue, I can deepen my own awareness of its complex layers as well as contribute my experiences to expand the perspective of others.

As a professor, I seek to cultivate a classroom community that is supportive of inclusion, justice, and social equality. One of my goals is to strengthen the depth and complexity of my teaching and student learning about diversity, social justice/injustice, and equality vs equity through the literature (English II) and topics (English I) selected.

Since I believe it is important to integrate theory with application, I have used my leadership, growth, health, and life coaching certifications to support personal growth & development in my students and clients as they move to their next level of success. I hired Stefanie and Michael Carniato to help me create https://Konfiday.com whose website title is from the universal language of Esperanto meaning confidence and seize the day.

Personally, I have an international family. My youngest son is adopted from Brazil. My honorary son has a mixed-race family. A friend and colleague who is hearing impaired, has shared with me her experience going through medical school with a physical disability. She and I have traveled together and attended many business functions where I have experienced through her the lack of accessibility for the disabled in our society.

I understand the power of articulating the shared language of diversity. For example, I often hear the use of the word “equality” when the diversity conversation needs to shift to “equity” instead. The two terms are similar but mean different things. It is imperative in the diversity conversation to make clear distinctions so that confusion and misunderstanding can be mitigated, and trust built.

According to The Race Matters Institute of JustPartners, Inc., the equality vs equity distinction centers around inputs vs outcomes. ?In their article, “The Power of a Shared Language for Advancing Racial Equity”

Most often, “equality” is used to refer to inputs—people receive the same resource, with the expectation that the outcome will be the same. However, if people are situated differently when receiving the same resource, equal input will only reinforce existing inequalities. On the other hand, we encourage the use of “equity” to refer to outcomes—all people can achieve a valued goal or circumstance—that typically require differential resources—because groups are not situated similarly at the outset.

In the same article,

Diversity refers to the presence of different groups and/or different perspectives. Different people and perspectives are shown to produce better organizational results. Inclusion is a feature of a setting when voice is valued from the diverse people present and they have organizational power. Inclusion is a core feature of a respectful organizational culture; it is manifested in the culture itself and the dynamics of that setting. A diverse setting without inclusion is not likely to remain diverse. Equity, as already noted, is the outcome where all people can achieve a valued goal or circumstance. It is grounded in policies and practices that are informed by and inclusive of diverse people. An equitable situation, by definition, will be inclusive and is more likely to be and remain diverse. A growing number of organizations pay attention to diversity, but far fewer pay attention to inclusion and equity. These do not substitute for one another. For example, having diverse personnel is not the same as having equitable policies.

I often use the example of attendance at a baseball game to explain the difference between equity and equality.

Imagine if you will that a mother, father, and small child all attend a baseball game. The tickets for each person cost the same. The purchase transaction assures that each of them receives a ticket. This is equality. The ticket admits the mother, father, and small child to the game.

Now imagine that even though it’s the bottom of the ninth inning, the parents decide to leave to get ahead of the forthcoming parking gridlock. The score is 6 to 3 in favor of the opposing team with the home team batting to stay in the game.

As the family makes their way out of the stadium, the first batter makes a base hit. The crowd goes wild. Hope begins to sprout. Next batter takes a base. Now there are players on first and second. Next batter strikes out. Fourth batter comes to the plate and makes a hit. All players advance and bases are loaded. Fifth batter pops a fly to outfield which is caught.

At this point, the family is outside near a fence. They want to see what happens with two outs and bases loaded. Dad is taller than mom, so he can see over the fence. Mom and small child can’t see because they’re shorter. While they all have equal access to the fence, it’s not equitable because of their height differences.

Mom grabs a milk crate to stand on while Dad upends a trash can for the small child to stand on. They can all see over the fence. Now they have equal and equitable access to the end of the game.

Often times people argue for equality when equity is really what they want.

The diversity conversation also needs to include a shared language about unconscious bias. This conversation is not only about racism. The diversity conversation needs to be expanded to include all marginalized people groups co-existing on campus, within the community, and framed in the institutional policies and procedures. It also needs to interrogate the bootstrap narrative and its representation in business. In other words, we all must share in the responsibility to articulate the need for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our spheres of influence, and outwardly to the community.?