On Wednesday, February 23rd, 2023, five guest speakers shared stories and experiences from their DEI+A journeys. The discussion covered why and how they found themselves in their roles, how social justice fits into accessibility, the best strategies for removing barriers at community events, lessons they have learned along the way, and how you can start your DEI+A journey today. 

Kelly Johnson, Director of the JEDI Committee, started the meeting with an introduction to the moderator, Isaac Shapiro, and panelists for the event while other committee members shared that all proceeds for this virtual event will go to the non-profit Disabilities Rights Oregon.

This discussion began by highlighting the connections between diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where audiences were encouraged to understand the differences and similarities between social justice and disability justice. Each panelist emphasized how incorporating disability and accessibility practices into websites, social media, presentations, and everyday office culture can lead to a more resilient workforce, and improve the lives of those in our business and work communities. 

Isaac led a robust discussion, where the main takeaways were:

• It is important to make the connection between social justice and disability justice, in order to prioritize those who have the greatest needs. 
• To achieve inclusive engagement, be sure to consider your physical environment and surroundings, use messaging and materials that are easy to follow, and pick a venue that aligns with your audience and is accessible by multiple transportation and mobility options. 
• Plan events early, consider safety and accessibility needs for all attendees, and know that each event and project will require a unique approach–there is no one size fits all. 
• Accessibility and anticipating people's needs is an evolving practice which requires constant learning and the ability to be adaptive to new information. 

So, what is one small thing you can do to start your DEI+A journey today?

• Include space for access needs dialog as part of your meetings: Create an environment where you and others feel comfortable sharing their access needs, open and honestly. 

• Be present and engaged when you meet someone new: Listen, learn, and observe. 

• Don’t get overwhelmed trying to do everything: Your DEI+A journey is, well, a journey! Pick one aspect of your work to make improvements, build your confidence in that space, and then move to the next item on your list. 

• Curate the media around you: Shake up your digital habits by following, watching, or listening to media that features differently-abled individuals.

The JEDI Committee thanks Isaac for moderating such a great discussion and each of our panelists: Andrea, Hannah, Katelyn, and Ping; as well as ASL interpreters and all event attendees. We hope our objectives to learn about DEI+A and increase awareness of the importance of having conversations on accessibility in the AEC industry were useful in providing education and action items to implement in your firm

RESOURCES

• Very insightful NYTimes article about ADA lawsuits and their very real limits (and podcast version on Spotify)
• Video about sensory processing, from a child's perspective
• Changing Places project, UK based, to make highly accessible bathrooms more readily available in popular places
• HOK produced a report about designing neurodiverse workplaces
• Crip Camp is a great film covering the incredible activism that made the ADA happen! On Netflix
• Sound of Metal, a great film about music / hearing loss / the Deaf community, on Amazon Prime
• The new, Oscar-winning CODA features Deaf actors playing Deaf roles, on Apple+
•  The color contrast checker tool
•  Learn about adaptive tools by following TechOwlPA on Instagram
• The Kelsey Housing Design Standards - above and beyond ADA for residential
• Access is Love resource list 
• Social Media, #AccessThat Guides
•  “Access Suggestions for a Public Event”
•  A Planning Guide for Making Temporary Events Accessible
• Top 36 Web Accessibility Resources for Digital Marketing Companies: 
• Seattle Cultural Accessibility Consortium resource list (includes most of the above, but a few others)

Speaker Bio's

Isaac Shapiro (he/him) is the Founder of Cleanlogic, the Inspiration Foundation, and served as the event’s moderator. Isaac’s DEI+A journey started at a young age, and was motivated by his mother’s passion for teaching individuals with vision loss to learn how to use adaptive technology to gain employment. Isaac found that he wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps and through a series of entrepreneurial efforts, founded Cleanlogic. A company that uses innovative technology and packaging to provide body, home, and wellness products that are accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 

Near the end of 2021, Cleanlogic experienced challenges due to inflation and supply chain concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than these developments becoming a cause for concern, Isaac saw an opportunity to bring manufacturing back to the United States and employ a workforce with differently-abled individuals. Cleanlogic now aims to build and fully employ its factories with at least 75% differently abled employees by 2025. 

The four panelists included:

Andrea Kovich (she/her) is the Senior Accessibility Specialist at Studio Pacifica, a consulting firm in Seattle, WA that works primarily with architects and developers on built environments to ensure they meet accessibility codes. Andrea considers education for inclusion a part of her work and strives to encourage clients to create more inclusive environments. 

Hannah Silver (she/her) is an Inclusive Design Facilitator at Holst Architecture and an Instructor of Urban Design at Portland State University. In her role, Hannah uses a holistic view to educate those who shape built environments about inclusivity, and directly bridge people's needs to designers. From marketing to operations, Hannah values creating spaces that go above and beyond meeting people's needs and ADA requirements. 

Katelyn Jackson (she/her) is a Community Affairs Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation, where she informs the public on highway construction projects in the Portland Metro area and invites members of the community to be involved in project designs. Katelyn works in a variety of ways to distribute information that is accessible and available for diverse audiences on multiple channels. 

Ping Khaw (she/her) is the Principle of the Community Engagement Liaison Program, part of PKS International LLC. The program supports government and private entities to engage with diverse voices, community members, and individuals who have never had the opportunity to participate in planning conversations. The program shines in its ability to develop important messaging that is accessible to the people they serve so that the future is built for everyone.