|
|
|
Welcome
|
From the Desk of Kathleen Egan:
Greetings!
I recently came across a definition of inclusion by Frederick A. Miller and Judith H. Katz that I believe captures the essence of what we're all striving for, and is a good reminder of why we practice inclusion:
"Inclusion is a sense of belonging: feeling respected, valued for who you are; feeling a level of supportive energy and commitment from others so than you can do your best work."
This definition illustrates the power of inclusion and the positive effect it can have on a national service program, organization, or any group of individuals working together. In the last several months, I have been especially encouraged by the stories of inclusive service happening right here in Michigan. Programs are being more intentional about incorporating training on diversity and inclusion; the Michigan's AmeriCorps LeaderCorps has an entire sub-committee focused on finding innovative ways to promote inclusion within their programs; and Michigan's Statewide Inclusion Team is helping us expand our inclusive outreach efforts to veterans and those with developmental disabilities. Inclusion is something everyone can be a part of!
We hope this newsletter encourages and inspires you to work toward the definition of inclusion listed above, and we thank you for working to make inclusion a part of your programs and service!
As always if you have a specific topic you'd like to know more about, or know of a program or national service participant that deserves to be recognized, please email me at egank@michigan.gov.
In Service,
Kathleen Egan
Inclusion AmeriCorps*VISTA
Michigan Community Service Commission
To see past editions of IN Touch you can access the archived versions by visiting the Resources section of the Disability/ Inclusion section of the MCSC website.
Back to top
|
Disclosure
As some of you may have experienced, it can be very disheartening when an AmeriCorps member or Senior Corps volunteer resigns from his or her term of service prior to completion. This is especially difficult when the resignation occurs because an individual with a non-visible disability does not feel comfortable disclosing their disability, even though an accommodation could have been made to meet their needs. So how can we, as proponents of inclusion in service, help create an environment of trust where members and volunteers feel comfortable disclosing their accommodation necessities?
Disclosure is, by law, a personal decision that individuals with a disability must make for themselves. In a disability context, "disclosure" means that people with disabilities share personal information about their disability for the specific purpose of receiving accommodations. There is no standardized form or set of requirements regarding what an individual must share about their disabilities, so it is up to each person to decide how much (if anything) he/she wants to disclose.
When discussing disclosure in your program, remind members and volunteers that if they need accommodations, it is not necessary to share everything about their disability and its effects. It is most important to provide information about two things:
1.) How their disability impacts the capacity to serve and perform effectively; and
2.) What environmental adjustments, supports, and services they will need in order to access, participate, and excel in their service/volunteer position.
Here are a few easy ways to promote disclosure in your program:
- Publicize the availability of reasonable accommodations (continue to promote this throughout the year at meetings, trainings, etc.).
- Reassure members/volunteers that any information they share will remain confidential and will not be shared with others.
- Openly post information about the availability of reasonable accommodations in the service setting.
- Ask individuals about their experience and satisfaction with the program using a variety of methods (i.e., individual conversations, surveys, etc.).
- Include individuals with disabilities as full participants in your program and service activities (expectations for individuals with disabilities should be the same as for others).
- Display statements on recruitment materials, such as "Qualified individuals with disabilities and those from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals and conduct all activities in fully accessible settings."
- Include products and interior decorations that portray images of people with disabilities in the service setting.
Have you had success creating a trusting environment where members and volunteers feel comfortable disclosing? If you have tips or techniques related to this topic, we'd love to hear them! Email Kathleen Egan at egank@michigan.gov.
|
|
be nice.
Written by: Catherine Lanting, AmeriCorps Member
"Children around the world are being bullied every day / But that's not cool; that makes their sky turn to gray./ be nice. That shirt does not lie / You can be nice if you're a girl OR a guy..."
 | |
Cherry Street Community Health Corps AmeriCorps members Marquea, Dhania, and Michelle promote the be nice campaign
|
Matt raps the last verse to a resounding standing ovation. Cheers and applause from his 300 classmates, all 8th graders at Grandville Middle School, reverberate through the auditorium. He is hugged and high-fived by his back-up singers and other students on stage who have just finished acting in an anti-bullying skit of their own design and direction. This 14 year-old student, who has struggled with a tic disorder all of his life, flawlessly performed the rap he wrote just minutes before when his group was asked to create and perform a skit, interpretive dance, or rap that spoke out about bullying.
 | |
Cherry Street Health Services member, Steve, presents to a group of attentive students
|
The prompt was given to groups of students during an assembly facilitated by the be nice. troupe, which consists of members of a campaign created by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) of West Michigan. The be nice. troupe members have thrown themselves headfirst into the fight to decrease bullying and to promote the simple message of being nice through acts of civility, politeness, respect, and courtesy. This year, AmeriCorps members from Cherry Street Health Services have worked with MHF to revive and fine tune this campaign. The new and budding be nice. campaign works to promote awareness of bullying and its devastating effects in schools, businesses, and the community. It strives to empower the student body to exemplify the principleof be nice. in that everyone has ownership of their own behavior and a civil responsibility to encourage, support, and include others.
With the knowledge that awareness can prevent the devastating effects of bullying, such as depression and suicide, the MHF and Cherry Street AmeriCorps members have visited many area schools and developed a program that follows the be nice. objectives. The one to two hour school-wide assemblies excite students about the be nice. mission and help student groups to tailor an anti-bullying program (sometimes in the form of a spirit week following the assembly) for each school. To do this, they pinpoint what type of bullying happens most frequently at the school, find positive ways it can be stopped, and identify how bystanders, faculty/staff and other adults can do their part to end bullying.
Matt, rap artist extraordinaire, was given the opportunity
 | |
Cherry Street Health Services member, Dhania, gets a group of students talking about the day
|
during his school's assembly to showcase his creativity and talent. His 300 classmates were given an opportunity as well to exemplify the be nice. message by supporting the unlikely performer, and to come together in a united front against bullying. The statistics about bullying and the facilitators' testimonials might not stick in the students' minds until graduation, but they are likely to remember the morning's be nice. message simply due to the feelings of self-confidence and empowerment that all the student performances brought to the group, as well as the look on their classmate's face after being supported so positively by his peers.
Cherry Street Health Services is an AmeriCorps*National program located in Grand Rapids, Mich. For more information on their mission and programs, visit:
Back to top |
|
MCSC Inclusion Mini-Grants -The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) is pleased to offer supplemental inclusion funds for Michigan's AmeriCorps*State and National, VISTA, Senior Corps (RSVP, Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents), and Learn and Serve programs to engage people with disabilities in service. Funds will be granted through an application process and will support service projects and "service shadow" opportunities that include people with disabilities. Inclusion mini-grant requests may range from $100-$500. Programs will also be required to submit a final report detailing the project/event outcomes. The application is available on the MCSC website at www.michigan.gov/mcsc.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - Are you looking for support and creative ideas for making your service environment more accessible? JAN has ideas for you, among many other amazing resources. Their information is invaluable!
http://askjan.org/
US Department of Labor-Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) - The ODEP provides resources for employers to encourage a more diverse workforce. They provide a variety of resources and grant opportunities. http://www.dol.gov/odep/
Looking for more information about the ADA?
Check out this handy fact sheet.
|
|
About the MCSC: The Michigan Community Service Commission is firmly committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation in its programs, activities, and materials. Please call (517) 335-4295 to request accommodation or to obtain materials in an alternate format.
|
|
|
|
|
