What are the barriers that leaders in disability organizations face in advancing their diversity goals?

The problem?

Hesitation, lack of knowledge, and a lack of opportunities for dialogue on race and disability are preventing disability organizations from achieving their ‘diversity’ goals.

The Solution?

Race and Disability Canada’s Community of Practice.Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Navigating the topic of “race” within disability organizations

Many leaders feel uncertain about how to navigate conversations about race with confidence. Individuals are products of their own lived experiences, and for non-racialized disability leaders, there exists a gap in understanding—you don't know what you don't know. Leaders find that there is "too much" and sometimes conflicting information that it can be overwhelming and difficult to decipher what to do. They don't know how to filter or access the information that addresses their unique challenges. Uncomfortable conversations about race, while they may be well-intentioned, have fueled a sense of unease and uncertainty about how to ensure the inclusion of Indigenous, Black, and Racialized people with disabilities (IBRpD) without causing harm. The fear of not getting it right has led to hesitation and inaction. Behind this hesitation often lies genuine intent and a deep desire to reflect the true diversity of Canadian society. However, words without action have little or no meaning to historically excluded and marginalized communities.

Race and Disability Canada's Community of Practice – launching in April 2024

To bridge the gap between intent and action, Race and Disability Canada is launching its Community of Practice in April 2024. This program offers disability sector leaders the unique opportunity to learn about the systems and structures that have served to historically exclude IBRpD and their continued impacts in an accessible and effective way.

Our Community of Practice (CoP) is more than just a group; it's a dynamic and brave space designed for collaborative unlearning and relearning, where disability leaders can connect, share experiences, and collectively develop strategies for promoting inclusion of Indigenous, Black and racialized people with disabilities. Through facilitated dialogue with subject-matter experts, peer mentorship, and  use of collaborative problem-solving strategies, leaders will leave the program with the practical know-how to advance and implement their strategic goals on equity, diversity and inclusion.

If you are a leader or decision maker in a disability organization in Toronto, Winnipeg or Vancouver and want to develop your organizational capacity to meet your Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) goals, this program is for you!

For more information about the CoP, please visit our registration page: Community of Practice.

About Race and Disability Canada

Race and Disability Canada’s inaugural project is based on an IDEA. The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) project, works to identify practical and innovative solutions to build capacity within the disability sector on the intersections of race and disability. We work with disability organizations to explore the challenges they face in implementing their equity, diversity, and inclusion objectives. Our goal? To understand how we can better support organizations  in meeting their strategic and operational goals of addressing and meeting the needs of Indigenous, Black, and Racialized people with disabilities (IBRpD). The terms diversity and inclusion are commonly used within the disability sector and can have multiple meanings. At Race and Disability Canada, a diverse community is one where histories of colonization, enslavement and racialization are recognized and validated. Inclusion is where the lived realities of racialized people with disabilities are recognized and embraced. Moreover, an equitable society acknowledges that racialized people with disabilities have been historically excluded from opportunities for advancement in all areas of society and that proactive measures to redress this are necessary and important.

For updates and opportunities, sign up for our newsletter at: racedisability.ca