Getting the IDEA Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility
by Dr. Kathryn Woodcock, P.Eng., C.C.P.E., I.C.A.E
Image courtesy RWS Entertainment Group
Dr. Woodcock has contributed several thought-provoking articles to InPark on accessibility and equity in relation to the attractions industry. This new story is about integrating the principle of accessibility into Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, concepts, and culture. It corresponds to an EDUTalk she is presenting on the topic on November 15 in Orlando, during IAAPA Expo 2022. Check your IAAPA program for details.
What’s your IDEA?
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any Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI or EDI) programs and slogans leave out Accessibility as a separate principle. Equity means that different people need different things to experience the same result, and therefore you might argue that Equity subsumes making things accessible, but I’ve seen too many instances where even diversity and social justice events and organizations fail accessibility. It is clearly not sufficient to be in favor of inclusion. Accessibility is a little different. Unlike other equity and inclusion, you cannot always achieve accessibility by simply changing your attitude and being more open-minded, or receptive, or fair. Sometimes it means you need to do something different in an architectural sense or incur extra costs to make something accessible, like adding audio descriptions or captions or interpreting. Disabled people are estimated to be between 15% and 30% of the population, depending on how you define disability and who is doing the classification, so it warrants the explicit attention. (I should say IDEA is not just my idea. It is one of several acronyms in common use within this general area.)
IDEA is a value The first thing you have to do is to decide if it really is your value. I mean, I think it’s worth considering – you’re squandering a whole lot of talent if you directly or indirectly make any types of people feel unwelcome or make it difficult for them to contribute and it’s leaving money on the table if potential
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customers can’t get in or feel unappreciated. But I have heard often enough, “We have enough job candidates or customers as it is – we don’t need to expand the pool.” IDEA is not an obligation or a training subject. IDEA is a value that needs to be infused in your culture. If it is NOT your value, and you’re reluctant about it, no amount of IDEA programming and staff training is going to transform your organization and gain you positive press for IDEA in the big picture. You need to do the deep thinking and decide that you are willing to work for it. What convinces you? The skill shortage and spending power arguments can be made, but if your interest is conditional on specific returns, the argument can break down on the individual level where the actual action happens. That doesn’t mean there is no benefit. On your team, do you have the wisdom of 100 people or do you have the same wisdom 100 times over? A diverse team brings different views that can improve your product because they see it from different angles. For inclusion of customers and guests, are you thinking about the investment needed to accommodate a particular guest, or the opportunity to bring in not that guest but also their whole companion group that sticks together, as well as to market to other guests with similar needs and all of their companion groups?
Social value There is also the grand social value argument. Think about me, a disabled woman. Should I be sitting at home excluded and potentially consuming social benefits instead of participating, contributing, paying taxes and spending on consumer goods and experiences? I have had a lot of great opportunities in my adult life, but I have also had difficulties in the job market at times, and in accessing products and events due to both my gender and my disability, separately and together. Overt, overt discrimination. If you had the chance to have someone like me as a team member or customer, would you walk away if I cost more than another team member or customer?
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