DEIA - Keynote 10.19.21 - Working Towards Making Equity Visible for Employees with Disabilities

Veleka Gatling, Ph.D., Director of Diversity at ODU, shared a presentation on how we can achieve visible equity for our employees with disabilities ultimately by treating them as they desire, not as we desire.  We must listen to other’s stories and begin shifting our cultural perspectives to achieve acceptance and adaptation ultimately operationalizing inclusion.  She encouraged all of us to be “Braver” Leaders by rumbling with vulnerability, living our values, building trust and learning to rise and reset.  She also introduced four tenets to build a framework for interventions that we can all use to achieve visible equity as we champion and advocate for our employees with disabilities.

• Tenet 1:  Leaders who practice self-reflection to shape philosophy, policies, and practices
• Tenet 2:  Leaders who inspire others to be aware of their own self-reflection practices
• Tenet 3:  Employees who consider their own beliefs and values as an intricate part of their daily work environment
• Tenet 4:  Leaders and Employees who advocate for lived and learned experiences to be a part of the work environment