With Lisa Pinhorn

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are important topics for us all to understand. We are all surrounded by bias, it is deeply entrenched into our culture, families, and workplaces. Often our unconscious bias is the deep-seated attitudes people hold subconsciously about those around them. The good news is that when we highlight these issues workplace culture can change, and we remove barriers to inclusion while increasing equity. Barriers to accessibility are very real and are experienced every day in neurodiverse family culture. Unfortunately, many of these barriers are baked into the systems families navigate each day. All of these stressors land directly in early learning settings, where parents often turn for assistance. Accessibility in childcare settings means that we firmly believe in the value of flexibility and are always ready to accommodate the needs and preferences of the children we care for each day. Openness and flexibility are our guiding lights to be truly accessible and inclusive. When you offer an accessible service, you are in barrier removal mode every day, seeking creative solutions that “empower the greatest number of people to participate in the activities in the most effective ways possible.” In this workshop we talk about issues connected to systemic bias, unconscious bias, racism, accessibility, equity, barriers to true inclusion, privilege, and ableism in our culture. We will highlight how ableism deeply impacts our neurodiverse community for children of all ages. We will review the international charters of the human rights of children and disabled people. The information covered will help to cultivate learning spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging - no matter their disability or culture.