Strategies to encourage inclusion

Everyone in this group is choosing to participate in the conversation around diversity and inclusion. Whether we are here solely as allies, or we have faced personal challenges relating to one or more areas of diversity it can be helpful to discuss practical steps we can take to help improve diversity and inclusion in our lives. 

April is Autism Acceptance Month so here are some strategies from this article with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which could be applied to anyone/group.

Simple strategies to encourage inclusion

Please share your ideas on how to create inclusive communities, particularly workplaces.

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Vero Rivas
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April 17, 2021

Hi @Kat Warner 

  Well, I think this is a good space, to give visibility, explain what these diseases are, publish places where you can ask for help, not judge and try to be empathetic with all the people who live these bitter experiences, either in their own lives. , in your family or your friends.

Cheers

Capi [resolution]
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
April 19, 2021

Beyond autism, intellectual disability are a very important and difficult topic when it comes to knowledge-intensive organizations.

But autism is really interesting, because they diverse cognitive approach can actually become a competitive advantage in some scenarios. I guess there's a need to educate everyone a bit more on those advantages, even if sometimes they are tied to upfront inefficiencies and costs.

Malka Jackson [Isos Technology]
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
April 19, 2021

Autism is intriguing, statistically I probably work with someone who has autism, but no one has self identified around me and I wouldn't know what to do to "pick out the traits and guess" which seems rude. I love the idea that people who approach ideas from a different mindspace can be just as successful, or even more so, in solving puzzling issues. We are not meant to be worker bees, identical in approach and work style, we are fabulous because we have these differences in thought that allow us to contribute to the group something that no one else does.  

Thank you for bringing up this topic. I am going to reach out to my roller derby friend who has a non-verbal autistic teenage daughter and ask if she has the energy and time for a conversation. They just finished moving into a new home so she's probably drained. 

Valerie Palmer April 26, 2021

We need to remove the stigma that surrounds this and celebrate the differences.  

The key is to be observant & listen.

Mary Ramirez
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April 30, 2021

A few weeks ago I listened to the youtube video below and I was surprised to learn about Microsoft's efforts around disability representation and their employee resource group. Highly encourage listening to the session. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE4zDqfczDw

Brant Schroeder
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May 3, 2021

@Kat Warner - Just came across this and wanted to thank you for posting it.  The more information we can get out about autism the better.  Have several family members that have autism and education helps encourage inclusion.

Pedro Silva May 19, 2021

Thanks for sharing @Kat Warner 

Carlos Garcia Navarro
Community Leader
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October 2, 2021

Thanks for writing and sharing this article, @Kat Warner . I agree with the strategies that you posted. I also think that educating people on ASD is important. Creating awareness and helping people understand how they can help may trigger people to action. Sometimes, when we don't know what to do, we do nothing.

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