Does everyone in the room get an opportunity for their voices to be heard during the meeting?
Is there adequate representation from various groups at the meeting (i.e. role on campus, gender, race, etc.)?
Is everyone's voices valued, or is someone's voice louder/more respected than another?
Can those invited successfully participate (consider physical ability, resources available to join, etc.)?
Addressing issues surrounding inclusion, diversity, equity, and access are not easy. Such issues are complex and require complex, intentional strategies comprising of three key components:
We fail to consider how important it is to have diverse perspectives at the table. If everyone had the same identities, perspectives, and experiences, it’s fair to think that most would feel included. But what happens when we have diversity present? Are we actively working to make sure the voices that differ from others are respected and taken seriously? Additionally, are we considering how some people don’t truly feel like they belong but they are trying to simply survive in a space by navigating an environment that was not designed for their success?
In terms of counting people, we miss out on making people count. If we have a diverse group but people don’t feel a part of the team, we fall short of creating an environment where people can thrive. For many, diversity only accounts for the number of individuals who are of a certain identity or demographic. It is important to have that awareness and at the same time, we must ensure that people from diverse backgrounds are included, respected, affirmed and welcomed.
We may not think about how we need to account for the demographics (diversity) to understand where our organization has gaps and areas for growth in representation. Equity is often thinking beyond the “golden rule”, which says we should treat people how we want to be treated. Equity means we should treat people the way they want to be treated. In order to fully accomplish this, we must know who is present, what their needs are, and how we can ensure they have a place, voice, and power.
It can be easy to forget that even with access (to opportunities) or having an accessible environment, if people are present yet are not included or don’t feel like they are empowered to share their perspective or be involved with influencing outcomes once they arrive, they won’t truly feel like they belong, are respected, and valued.
We can move toward a more holistic and representative approach to problems we are working to address.
This is one perspective – we are allowed to critique and disagree. In fact, we encourage critical perspective taking and shifting.