Jourdan Saunders, CEO of The Resource Key

Discover key strategies for empowering individuals with disabilities, including creating safe spaces, highlighting real-life examples of successful inclusion, and actively involving them in conversations and decision-making. Learn from resources like the Disability Visibility Project and Job Accommodation Network, and understand the importance of hiring and empowering people with disabilities in leadership roles for genuine, lasting inclusion.

Empowering People with Disabilities: Actions for Inclusion and Change

Discover key strategies for empowering individuals with disabilities, including creating safe spaces, highlighting real-life examples of successful inclusion, and actively involving them in conversations and decision-making.

Beyond Duct Tape Diversity: 3 Ways for Sustainable Inclusion

Discover the personal journey of overcoming societal barriers and stigma associated with learning disabilities. This article delves into the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities and highlights the importance of self-advocacy and the pursuit of inclusive strategies. Follow the story of resilience as one individual defies limitations, embraces their unique abilities, and empowers others to find their voices in an often-unaccommodating world. Learn how society's perception can be transformed through understanding, support, and a commitment to inclusivity.

Living in society as a woman with a Learning Disability

"I cannot change the fact that I have a disability and how limiting society can be. The only thing I can do is use strategies to help myself be able to do things and compensate. I use my voice to speak power and hopefully a more inclusive society. " -Michelle Steiner

Interconnected will be an important word as we continue to look towards the future in building inclusion and accessibility.  Taking new information, unrelated concepts, different perspectives and interconnecting them to build out the future will be a skillset to continue to develop to continue moving forward.

Interconnected

"We want to be a community that is centered around universal design and being inclusive of all people regardless of ability. That means that we have to continue to learn about accessibility and disability, and celebrate the many contributions and gifts our disabled students bring to our campus.” -Eduardo Pazos, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Inclusion and Diversity

The Resource Key is proud to announce that we have been listed in The Valuable Directory, a unique resource featuring expertise within digital, physical and cognitive accessibility, as well as tools for inclusive recruitment and branding practices.  As one of only 77 successful organisations globally, we are proud to have been selected by an independent expert review panel.  Our appointment shows our ongoing support to ending disability exclusion, and we look forward to working with The Valuable 500 companies to achieve this.

The Resource Key Joins The Valuable Directory for Disability Inclusion

"The Resource Key is proud to announce that we have been listed in The Valuable Directory, a unique resource featuring expertise within digital, physical and cognitive accessibility, as well as tools for inclusive recruitment and branding practices.  As one of only 77 successful organisations globally, we are proud to have been selected by an independent expert review panel. "

Mozzeria is a pizzeria located in Washington, DC that is known for their authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas.  We love that inclusion and accessibility is embedded within every area of Mozzeria.

The Restaurant Redefining How to Build Community

“I really want to see deaf employees earn the respect that they deserve, so that when somebody walks in that doesn’t sign, they see that deaf people can do everything from owning a restaurant to bartending to cooking.” — Ryan Maliszewski, Mozzeria CEO

  321 Coffee is a “coffee shop and roaster providing meaningful work opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

321 Coffee

“Together, we are building a company that stands for inclusion and doing business the right way.” — 321 Coffee

100 Cameras “works with youth around the world who have had challenging experiences, and they teach them to process and tell their stories through photography in a way that impacts how they view themselves and their role in their community.”

100 Cameras

“Every kid – no matter their background or circumstances – deserves the right to have access to tools that support them in processing their experiences in a way that creates space for emotional freedom in their future."  — 100 Cameras

AgrAbility is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded program that provides support, education, and assistance to ranchers and farmers with disabilities. AgrAbility was started through the 1990 Farm bill, the first eight State/Regional AgrAbility Projects (SRAPs) were funded in 1991. During that time, “the National AgrAbility Project (NAP) was led by Purdue University’s Breaking New Ground Resource Center in partnership with Easter Seals (national office).” 

AgrAbility

“Agricultural workers with disabilities are often unable to continue working in a manner they are accustomed to, resulting in reduced productivity and increased chance of secondary injury. But with the help of AgrAbility, many of these professionals are able to put their knowledge and expertise back into the field.”  — AgrAbility

Yes I Can provides career skills training and employment services to individuals with disabilities to assist them in developing the skills they will need to secure a career within the entertainment industry earning a competitive wage.

Yes I Can Unity Through Music and Education

“YIC believes individuals with disabilities should have the same right as non-disabled individuals to have access to a full range of available employment opportunities and to earn a living wage in a job of their choosing based on their talents, skills, and interests.” — Yes I Can Unity Through Music and Education (YIC)

Inclusively is the technology-centered inclusion solution and employment platform for job seekers with disabilities, mental health conditions, and chronic illnesses. 

Inclusively

“I believe that having a job is something that can change someone’s life. It is something that provides stability, but not just financial stability, it provides something that you can look forward to, that you can work on, that you can have successes in, that you can become better at, that you can learn to overcome challenges.” — Charlotte Dales, CEO of Inclusively

Photography and video exhibit – both online and in-studio – that showcases the food-related stories of eight disabled Canadians, eight Canadians from culturally diverse backgrounds, and eight Cowichan Valley food and beverage producers.

Cowichan Valley Disability, Culture and Food Through Art Exhibit

"I want to use my platform to showcase the stories of other people, I want to elevate their voices, I don’t want to tell their story for them, I want to give them the ability to share their stories to allow people to connect with it. Like you are sitting down with a friend over a cup of coffee and you’re learning about something that you have never ever ever have thought of before because of your own privilege and you’re like wow how have I not know about this I want to be part of a solution.”— Jules Sherred

Input from the disabled community is a critical part of any company’s inclusivity efforts. Here’s how to seek out their perspectives.

How to include workers with disabilities in your DEI initiatives

"It is important to have a company culture that welcomes people with disabilities prior to them being hired for a position. The culture is a thread that is interlaced into each area of the company, from its values to its recruitment process, efforts to retain employees and provide leadership opportunities for growth, to many other areas." -Jourdan Saunders, CEO of The Resource Key

We enjoyed reading this article about The Goodtime Hotel a few weeks ago. In the article “Grutman said the goal is to make “aspiration accessible,” and Birnbaum said the hotel will be “affordable luxury.” We looked on The Goodtime Hotel website and they specifically state all of the ways in which their hotel is accessible. We love that inclusion and accessibility were thought of from the start.

Hotel Ensuring Accessibility from the Start

“Grutman said the goal is to make “aspiration accessible,” and Birnbaum said the hotel will be “affordable luxury.” We looked on The Goodtime Hotel website and they specifically state all of the ways in which their hotel is accessible. We love that inclusion and accessibility were thought of from the start.

The Project Why is what comes to mind when starting, agreeing or pursuing any project.  Sometimes the “Why” is just as important as the project itself. Why did you agree to this project?  This question is important because when committing to a project we want to be able to finish what we started, and asking the “Why” questions allows a deeper understanding of the connection to the project, and commitment to the project. 

The Project Why

Events have the capacity to bring about change, to create spaces to develop relationships to bring about change, and gather new information to use to bring about change.

Events Empower

Authentic Representation is so important.  Authentic is key because you can have representation without it being authentic. 

Authentic Representation

Music can be such a powerful tool for activism in the community, leadership through lyrics, and communicating authentic messages. 

Who are we designing for? What are we considering when we are designing? So many more questions that come to mind when designing and more importantly inclusive and accessible design.  Honestly, we wouldn’t have to say “inclusive and accessible design” if inclusion and accessibility was a part of our design process from the start. The design process is constantly changing, evolving, open to change.  Nothing about design feels static or not changing. 

Design Impact

Who are we designing for? What are we considering when we are designing? So many more questions that come to mind when designing and more importantly inclusive and accessible design. 

Stay Connected takes on a whole new meaning depending on the person, context, and environment.

Improve your social media presence with The Resource Key's free webinar replay on 4 Ways to Make Your Social Media Inclusive and Accessible. Learn about using alt text, image descriptions, color contrast, and hashtags, as well as best practices for accessible content creation and strategies for creating an inclusive online community. Receive a webinar replay, transcript, PowerPoint, and reference outline with resources for free. Start creating a more diverse and equitable online community today.

4 Ways to Make Your Social Media Inclusive and Accessible - Free Webinar Replay

Inclusive Starter Keys:  Inclusive and Accessible Social Media.

Free Inclusive and Accessible Social Media

Discover how The Resource Key contributed to the 3rd Annual Head to Speech Interprofessional Task Force Summit and Brain Health, Sports & Fitness Expo 2024. Explore our journey in fostering community, education, and collaborative practices across disciplines related to brain health, sports medicine, and more. Learn about the summit's impact on the Head to Speech Community and how it aligns with our core mission to build bridges within the community.

The Resource Key at the Head to Speech Summit 2024 for Brain Health & Sports

The Resource Key was a vendor at Head to Speech Summit & Expo in Washington DC at University of the District of Columbia.

New Disability Culture Coordinator advocates for disabled community by Juliana Vandermark from The Bowdoin Orient 

Link to Article:  https://bowdoinorient.com/2023/02/03/new-disability-culture-coordinator-advocates-for-disabled-community/

This article discusses how for the first time Bowdoin, the College hired a Disability Culture Coordinator.  When reviewing this article here are some of the components that were interconnected:

Conversations between Disabled Student Association and different administrators.

Listening to students and realizing more support was needed surrounding ableism, accessibility, and disability. 

Position created based off of listening and conversations discussed.

Bringing disabled community to the table surrounding different important conversations.

Quote from article:  "We want to be a community that is centered around universal design and being inclusive of all people regardless of ability. That means that we have to continue to learn about accessibility and disability, and celebrate the many contributions and gifts our disabled students bring to our campus.” -Eduardo Pazos, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Inclusion and Diversity

How will interconnected help you build a more inclusive and accessible future?

Does your company need a speaker to discuss how to build out a more inclusive and accessible future?

 Get started today with The Resource Key Speaking Engagements and Custom Programs 

Who are we designing for? What are we considering when we are designing? So many more questions that come to mind when designing and more importantly inclusive and accessible design.  Honestly, we wouldn’t have to say “inclusive and accessible design” if inclusion and accessibility was a part of our design process from the start. The design process is constantly changing, evolving, open to change.  Nothing about design feels static or not changing.  Change and impact are important words when we talk about inclusion, accessibility and design. We are always evolving, changes occur, and we have to be able to shift, whether it is opening ourselves up to a new perspective or having a conversation about design that once worked previously, no longer works because users' needs have changed.

1. The tyranny of chairs: why we need better design by Sara Hendren from The Guardian

Quote from the article: “It wasn’t Papanek who offered universal design to the world; it was disabled people whose long-held insights generated what became a set of principles that designers could follow. Ronald Mace, a wheelchair user and architect, is credited with introducing the term “universal design” to the public in 1985. In part, the coinage was strategic, recasting features of design that had been considered “special” as simply good design, resulting in products and buildings that were straightforwardly “usable by all people”.

2. This new disability-friendly menstrual cup has a pull-tab so it can be removed like a tampon by Andrea Michelson from Business Insider

Adamé has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which is a connective tissue disorder characterized by joint instability. After her previous experiences with other menstrual cups, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She reached out to her friend who is a medical device inventor, and together they designed a cup they hoped would be easier to remove for users of all ability levels.

Quote from the article:  “There’s a difference, I think, when you involve somebody with that primary experience at every step with equal weight in the process,” Miller said. “What that process manifests is inclusivity and advocacy.”

3. New All-Inclusive Playground In Bonner Springs Provides Valuable Space For Kids With, And Without, Disabilities by Laura Ziegler from KCUR 89.3

The inclusive playground allows all children to be included and play together. The playground includes adaptive equipment and technology for children. 

Quote from the article: “Marissa Graczyk’s family is from the tiny town of Centerview in Johnson County, Missouri, where there are no parks or playgrounds for kids with disabilities. She and her brother have an illness that requires them to use wheelchairs. The first all-inclusive playground in Wyandotte County allows all six siblings to play together.”

4.  9 Ways UX/UI Design Can Improve Digital Health Adoption for Seniors by Amy Oughton from HIT Consultant Media

Different ways to improve engagement when seniors are accessing telehealth tools. User Experience/User Interface tips to help improve digital health so that telehealth products are not a barrier for seniors.

Quote from the article: “But, to make sure we are designing telehealth products with all users in mind, we’ll need to gain additional perspective on why seniors aren’t accessing telehealth resources at the same rate as other age groups and how to reduce their barrier to entry. Many providers will continue to use telehealth once the pandemic has passed, so understanding the current barriers to use for seniors, is important.”

5. Bigger Than Her Body: How Annie Boivin Conquered the World of Architecture While Living with a Disability by Rachel Rose from Canadian Architect

Quote from the article: “It’s a matter of changing people’s mindsets, which have been ingrained for a lifetime—and that’s not easy to do,” Greene says. “Built environments must be safe and accessible for anyone from 8 years old to 80 years old. But it’s hard to have a clear understanding of what that means. And this has resulted in an epidemic of slapdash developments that have no consideration for universal design.”

How can we shift our mindset to design with impact to ensure that we are designing an inclusive and accessible society?

Stay Connected takes on a whole new meaning depending on the person, context, and environment.  Sometimes it can be difficult to find ways to stay connected when there does not feel like enough time for everything.  

1.  ‘I choose to thrive’: the man fighting motor neurone disease with cyborg technology by Michael Segalov from The Guardian

Peter was diagnosed with diagnosed with a motor neurone disease (MND). He is helping to create groundbreaking technology, that in turn could help someone else too.

 Quote from the article: “If we can improve things for Peter,” says Francis, “we can improve it for everyone with a disability, whether it’s MND, a stroke or old age.”

2. With Braille on Its Label, This Ohio Brewery’s New Beer Supports the Visually Impaired by Courtney Roberson from The Vine Pair

A brewery collaborated with a local organization to release a beer called Braille Ale which has braille on the beer packaging. 

Quote from the article:  “People need to be able to get information, and we need to be able to get them that information any way that we can.” Putting it on a can of beer is just the start, she says.”

3. Teacher with Tourette’s who shouts ‘Billy ball bag’ at pupils stars in new documentary by Katie Begley from Daily Mirror

A teacher with Tourette’s shared her story on a new documentary, Teacher With Tourette’s which airs in the UK on Thursday at 10pm on Channel 5.

Quote from the article: “They see I am capable – they don’t see a disability. My Tourette’s makes me a better teacher.”

4.  Visions of Post Pandemic Home by Helen Barrett from Financial Times

Designers are creating innovative solutions from touching a rock that illuminates to let your loved ones know you are thinking of them to sitting inside of a protective dining bubble. The pandemic has shifted society and everyone is rethinking, adapting, adjusting, shifting, and looking at things from a different lens.

Quote from the article: “Design is suffering. It is a collective. We can’t do it digitally, it is not a singular endeavour,” he says. “We are more effective as a group than spread out across the world. You can’t design without experiencing a place, or seeing people use your product in real life.”

5. Claudia Walder is Tackling Shame Around Chronic Illness And Building Her Own Disability Community by Naomi Pike from British Vogue

Claudia is the founder and editor of Ablezine.  Ablezine seeks to change the image of disability and is committed to ensuring that as many disabled people are working behind the scenes as are featured on the page.

Quote from the article: “For Walder, greater understanding and inclusion for the disabled community looks as simple as able-bodied people being reminded that disabled people simply even “exist.” “We are the largest minority group in the world, and the only one that anyone can become a part of at any moment, so we need to be asking ourselves: Why we are always left out? Too many people have gotten away with [not] addressing disability as a social issue, because they can. You could say that about other [forms of] discrimination – people ignore it because they can. That does not mean they should.”

How will you stay connected or help someone else stay connected?

Does your company need help with partnership ideas?

 Get started today with The Resource Key Inclusive Package services

Jourdan Saunders, CEO of The Resource Key

KEY 7. Interconnected

KEY 2. Design Impact

KEY 1. Stay Connected