The Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado (BIAC) is committed to being a leading community organization in setting high standards of equity implementation. In aligning with these values, BIAC aims to provide an inclusive environment intentionally designed to foster a sense of belonging by honoring the dignity of each and every person. Within this culture, BIAC has an active diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and justice committee (DEIAJ) to ensure that all survivors, their support networks, BIAC employees, board members and volunteers are valued, empowered, and respected. The goal of these efforts is that all individuals in the brain injury community live a full and dignified life. Furthermore, BIAC strives to provide impeccable services to support clients and promotes independence through self-advocacy.
*Definitions:
Diversity – Diversity is the range of human differences in experience and perspective.
Equity – Equity is ensuring accessibility, treating people with fairness by taking into consideration, respecting, and embracing their differences. Equity works to provide opportunities to those facing barriers by providing additional resources, which are specific and individualized.
Inclusion – Inclusion is involvement and empowerment, which intentionally promotes a sense of belonging where people’s inherent worth and dignity are recognized, and their abilities, qualities, and perspectives are leveraged for the collective good.
Accessibility – Accessibility is giving equitable opportunities to everyone along the continuum of human ability and experience.
Justice – Effective equitable practices require eliminating barriers through the action of justice. Efforts in justice are the processes and work to dismantle barriers to resources and increase access to opportunities in society.
*As DEIAJ is a life long learning process, BIAC updates our equity statement regularly as we evolve with new information.*
In aligning to these values, BIAC has recently started with the following steps:
- Started a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee that meets regularly to advocate for future changes that further this initiative.
- The DEI Committee has established an organization wide recommendation to include pronouns in email signatures and correspondence.
- Created and disseminated a survey among staff that assesses a baseline measurement of our current practices and identifies areas for growth.
- Actively seeking external expertise and support in order to inform our DEI vision and strategy.
To provide informed diversity, equity, and inclusion, BIAC will follow-up with these measures:
- Develop a system to be more intentional and conscious of bias during the hiring, promotion, and evaluation processes.
- Identify and dismantle any inequities within our internal policies and external practices and continually evaluating progress and updating priorities accordingly.
- Pursue cultural humility throughout our organization by creating substantive learning opportunities and formal, transparent policies.
- Improve our cultural leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the diversity of our community.
- Continue to aggregate quantitative and qualitative research related to equity to make incremental, measurable progress toward the visibility of our diversity, equity, and inclusive efforts.
- Advocate for public policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Challenge systems and policies that create inequity, oppression, and disparity.
- Strive to collaborate with other community organizations that advance values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
