Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility - Learnings From a Recent Industry Conference

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Two people taking a selfie smiling in front of the welcome to kamloops building sign.

Upanup was invited to a 'first-of-its-kind' conference hosted in Kamloops which provided an engaging space for city staff and elected officials from small and medium-sized municipalities as well as Indigenous bands in BC to come together and share their successes and struggles while exploring best practices in a collective effort to build more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible communities. Throughout all our learnings, we wanted to share some of the key highlights and take-aways we had from the conference. 

Building an Inclusive Online Presence - Summary of Upanup's Talk on Website Accessibility 

Upanup had the privilege of attending and speaking at the 2023 IDEA conference in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Here are some highlights!

Presenters

  • Elliot Lange, Senior UX Designer, Upanup Studios, Inc.
  • Charlotte O’Reilly, Marketing Director, Upanup Studios Inc.

Description

Explore the essential strategies and best practices for making your digital presence welcoming and accessible to all. Learn how to navigate the complex landscape of web accessibility compliance and create an online space that embraces diversity, inclusivity, and seamless user experiences for everyone.
 

Summary

  1. Elliot and Charlotte led an inclusive and collaborative session, starting with visual descriptions of themselves for anyone in the audience with visual disabilities.
  2. They shared personal stories about people in their lives who inspire a dedication to online inclusivity--Charlotte telling about growing up with a blind grandfather who would have loved to see this future with web accessibility at the forefront, and Elliot telling about his first week on a job needing to fill out a form that asked for their gender when it wasn't even relevant.
  3. The team then explained web accessibility through analogies (Elliot's famous frog village analogy, for example!), through common questions from our municipal clients about web accessibility, and through the takeaway mantra: Web Accessibility is a Mindshift (Not a Checklist). Check out that link for a list of additional resources such as podcasts, courses, articles, and tools.

Quotes from keynote speaker Jesse Lipscombe

Jesse spoke about The Road to Inclusivity. Here are some quotes we loved.
  • "When you have the ability to jump in and out of the battle, that’s when you know you have a privilege, and that’s when you should stay longer."
  • "Know the difference between the intent and the impact."
  • "Say sorry meaningfully."
  • "Who’s responsible for the change that needs to happen? Whoever has access to resources and represents other people."
  • "Use your privileged/superpower to take rocks out of someone else’s backpack, without asking."
  • "Change moves at the speed of empathy."
  • "We collectively can deal with the thing/issue."
  • "What’s the right way to be an activist? There are many ways. There’s only one wrong way: by doing nothing."

Some questions for keynote speaker Garry Gottfriedson

Garry Gottfriedson is a Secwépemc Poet and spoke about his first-hand Indigenous experiences.
  • Question from Upanup: How do you feel about non-Indigenous people teaching about Indigenous history in the public school system? Or how could we make it better? 
    • Summary of Garry's response: He suggested getting involved with the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) to create opportunities for local Indigenous Peoples to come to the school and share their culture.
  • Question from Upanup: Is buying Indigenous art such as paintings or jewelry by non-Indigenous people considered cultural appropriation? 
    • Summary of Garry's response: It's okay to buy the art, as long as you are giving credit to the artist and not taking any credit for yourself.
A conference room with multiple round tables seating 4 people each. At the back of the photo is a stage with a speaker at a mic, and a powerpoint presentation beside them on a projector screen.
Photo sourced from LinkedIn shared by: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordannhazelwood888jjj/

Take-aways from the Session on Inclusive Meetings

The presenters were Denise Anderson, Corporate Assistant – Information and Privacy and Accessibility Working Group Member, City of Kamloops and Tymmarah Mackie, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, City of Kamloops.
 
  • Some cultures will not attend a meeting unless they have been invited and directed to attend by an elder, so you may need to reach out to them and invite them. 
  • Provide meeting materials or agendas in advance (helpful for people where English is not their first language). 
  • In some cultures, arriving up to 30 minutes after the start time is still considered on time. In some cultures arriving before the start time is rude because it puts pressure on the host. 
  • Similarly, in some cultures eye contact is rude (or polite). 
  • Handshakes are also culturally ok or not (e.g., it’s not appropriate for men to shake a Muslim woman’s hand). It’s ok to ask. Don’t be offended either way. 
  • Depending on the culture, the person at the head of the table or across from the door could be leading the meeting.
  • Talking: a talking stick or item is used for some Indigenous Peoples—but don’t assume this applies to all Indigenous Communities. 
  • Sometimes not speaking is the norm for certain people/positions. 
  • Ethnocentrism—don’t say “it’s wrong” (it’s just different). Example: driving on the other side of the road, not the wrong side of the road.  
  • “Food considerations” not food restrictions. Includes cultural needs. 
  • Indigenous elders should be served food first. They might want to be served first or brought their food or have their plate carried while they get their food—ask their preference. 
  • “Welcome everyone”, not “welcome ladies and gentlemen”. 
  • Women or youth or elders or people with disabilities can be overlooked or dismissed or rushed for speaking, so be careful not to do this. Be careful not to interrupt. Allow anyone who wants to speak to speak once before someone speaks a second time. Call out inappropriate comments. 
  • Having video turned on in meetings allows lip reading. Include closed captioning. Chat messages are encouraged, with a moderator who’s not speaking. 

Attendee advice:

  • Multicultural or intercultural terminology excludes Indigenous Peoples because these terms signify immigrants. Use instead: Diverse cultural backgrounds. Different racialized backgrounds also work. 
  • Co-creating the agenda can be more inclusive. 
  • Idioms aren’t plain language, and should be avoided.
  • The issue with people talking too long? Could set an expectation of two minutes per person upfront. 
  • Ask about the smudging protocol as well.  If you invite an Indigenous elder they should be allowed to smudge inside. 
  • What does psychological safety look like? Anonymous questions and surveys, like an online Excel sheet.
  • Consent for photographs at an event like this? Include a model consent form for photography. Or ask people as you take photos if you can share the photo online.