My Personal Journey through Diversity & Inclusion

Throughout my 20 years of involvement in the business community, I've come to realize that as a society we continue to face challenges in the diversity and inclusion space. One challenge I have noticed in particular is that of unconscious bias.  

I learned that unconscious biases are social stereotypes individuals form outside of their own conscious awareness. It can take many different forms and can occur anywhere – at school, within the community, and also in the workplace.

For example, let's say you notice an individual who has parked in an accessible parking space but you cannot visually identify a physical condition that could affect his or her mobility.  As a result, you may find yourself judging them for using a parking space that could otherwise be used by someone who is noticeably struggling.

What if, however, that same individual struggles with a disability that might not be visible? Would you apply the same judgement?

Acknowledge.

Despite my extensive involvement with diversity and inclusion, it was only after reading an article about an individual being judged for using an accessible parking spot because she had Osteogenesis imperfecta, that I acknowledged my own unconscious bias. Surprised at my discovery of the individual's “invisible” illness, I was determined to expand my knowledge and better understand the challenges of people with disabilities – whether visible or not.

Case in point: During a discussion with one of my team members, he opened up about his physical disability – a hip issue he has had since birth. I asked how it has impacted his career, his relationships with his peers and his overall job satisfaction. He explained that at times, he felt that he couldn't meaningfully participate in group activities and outings since many were often designed with good physical health and wellness in mind. This is when I realized that by focusing on our own abilities we can easily forget about the abilities – or potential disabilities – others might face.

By engaging and asking questions, I became more conscious of my team member's needs. What's more, I now had an opportunity to generate further discussion on this topic with other members of my team and in doing so, collectively strengthen our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace.

Educate.

This past year, I received a proposal from our team to host a soccer tournament as a team building activity. I took this as an opportunity to challenge the team to be more inclusive and broaden our choice of activities to accommodate a wider range of skills and abilities.

After collectively brainstorming, we came up with "Wellympics", a series of events that featured diverse sporting activities including soccer, basketball, bean bag toss, relay race, table tennis and even a blindfold maze race!

By altering our approach to increase participation and tackle the potential for unconscious bias, we not only became more educated on engaging individuals with a wide range of experience, backgrounds and abilities but also had a tremendously successful event! So much so, we even awarded trophies for Cheerleading Champions and Best Creative Uniform.

Lead.

In hindsight, I realize the most detrimental part of unconscious bias is the fact that it happens unintentionally. People can form impressions and judge others for differences in gender, race, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disabilities and more, without even realizing it.

But that's where each and every one of us can step in, take the lead and help drive change. Whether we realize it or not, our actions have a big impact on those around us. By paying closer attention to the people we engage with and understanding their needs, whether at the office or in our community, we'll become more self-aware and better equipped to interrupt biases – whether our own or others'.

So whether you're an executive or employee, by acknowledging bias, educating others, and taking on a leadership role, you'll be better positioned to help build a more diverse and inclusive future – for all.

References

Postmedia News. (2016, March 24). Woman with 'invisible' disability hassled for using handicap parking: 'I was between hurt and furious'. Retrieved June 29, 2018