The Board received inclusion training from one of our volunteers this week. Alison Hubbard is an expert on inclusions training from the US. She has lived in Düsseldorf for 4 years has become a recent members of the iwibdus.
We love women sharing their talents so we asked Ali to tell us more about inclusion and how she used it in her role in the US with people with learning disabilities.
The training was excellent and here I have just highlighted a few of her thoughts to share:
Creating inclusion and a welcoming space is for all of us
For visually impaired people – think about black and white as it has the best contrast and the easiest to read.
Definition of disability is impairing your daily living. So think about eating, bathing, dressing not just moving around.
I am not your Inspiration Ted Talk from Stella Young
Ali showed is the TED talk from Stella Young and we discussed that disabilities are not there to inspire people. My life is bad, but it could be worse – is NOT how it should be seen. She believes in Social Model of Disability: you are more disables by society than your body.
At iwibdus, we are thinking about how to support disabilities in the workplace. Compassionate vs Balance – we have good intentions as a society. But don’t think you know how to help someone. Ask them!
Focus on the person. Not what you see.
Ali Hubbard – Inclusion Specialist
Commitments that we are making as an organisation include:
- Improving internal communication on our Slack Page – policy written
- Subtitle videos in English on the website – ongoing
- Use easy language to help non English speaker and disabilities into the organisation – ongoing
- Require our partners to have disability and inclusion policies
- Use spouse/ partner – not husband
- Tell people!
