The Mirror Group Welcomes You to

POWER & PRIVILEGE:DISABILITY WORKSHOP

AUGUST 7, 2013

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AGENDA – DAY ONEMORNING• Welcome and

Introductions• Training Alliance• Disability Laws &

Data Overview• Exercise: Historical

Perspectives*• Lunch

AFTERNOON• Power, Privilege

and Response• Film: When Billy

Broke His Head*• Homework• Adjourn

*Break

2

AGENDA – DAY TWOMORNING• Welcome Back /

Homework Debrief• 3Ps - People,

Potential, Possibilities

• Break• Exercise: Land of

Inclusion*• Lunch

AFTERNOON• Creating an Alliance:– Communication

Demonstration– Communication

Practice*• Action Planning• Closing Circle• Evaluation• Adjourn

*Break3

“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn.

Tell me a truth and I’ll remember.

Tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”

~Steve Sabol, Founder, NFL Filmsbased on Native American Saying

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SELF INTRODUCTIONS

• Name• Work Area• What is Your Experience

Related to the Topic of Disabilities?

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DESIGNING OUR TRAINING ALLIANCE

• Being Here• Atmosphere of Safety• Shared Responsibility• Accommodation

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MAJOR DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT LAWS

Rehabilitation Act of 1973First law to protect federal employees or employees of federal funding recipients

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990Extends the protections to employees of private employers

ADA Amendments Act of 2008 An Act to restore the intent and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

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WHAT THE LAW SAYS…

A person with a disability is an individual…

1. With a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or

2. Who has a record of such an impairment; or

3. Who is regarded as having such impairment.

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“SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITS”ONE OR MORE MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES

INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO:

• Caring for oneself, • Performing manual

tasks, • Seeing, hearing, • Eating, sleeping, • Walking, standing,• Lifting, bending,

• Sitting, reaching, • Speaking, breathing, • Learning, reading, • Concentrating,

thinking,• Communicating,

interacting with others, and working.

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“SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITS”ONE OR MORE MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES

INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO:

• Major bodily functions including but not limited to functions of:• The immune system,• Normal cell growth, • Hemic and lymphatic systems, • Digestive, bowel and bladder systems,• Respiratory, circulatory and cardiovascular

systems…10

“SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITS”ONE OR MORE MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES

INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO:

• Major bodily functions (continued):• Neurological, brain and endocrine

systems,• Musculoskeletal system, • Special sense organs and skin, • Genitourinary systems and reproductive

functions.

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WHAT’S THE PREVALENCE OF

DISABILITY?The data vary based on:• Different definitions• Changes in questions• Different data sources• Different survey years and times of year• Different age groups• Different base populations

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PERCENT WITH DISABILITYUnder 15 Years 8.4%15-24 Years 10.2%25-44 Years 11.0%45-54 Years 19.7%55-64 Years 28.7%65+ Years 49.8%Male 17.4%Female 19.8%

ABOUT 19 PERCENT (Americans With Disabilities: 2010. Household Economic Survey. Issued July 2012. Table 1 and Figure 2.

Matthew W. Brault. US Census Bureau . Includes Civilian Non-Institutionalized Population.)

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TARGETED DISABILITIES

• Deafness• Blindness•Missing Extremities• Partial Paralysis• Complete Paralysis

• Convulsive Disorders• Intellectual Disabilities

(formerly mental retardation)

•Mental Illness• Distortion of Limb

and/or Spine

A subset of disabilities used for employment statistics and Affirmative Action purposes

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Update of GSFC’s Individuals with Targeted Disabilities as of December 31, 2010

NON-TARGETED DISABILITY

TARGETED DISABILITY

COMBINED DISABILITY

4.6% 2.0% 6.6%

GSFC INDIVIDUALS WITH DISCLOSED DISABILITIES

(SOURCE: GSFC EQUAL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM OFFICE AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2012)

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BOTTOM LINE

Qualified individuals with disabilities

who can perform essential job function duties

with reasonable accommodations can not be denied

employment opportunities

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“A LAW CANNOT GUARANTEE

WHAT A CULTURE WILL NOT GIVE.”

-MARY JOHNSONDISABILITY ACTIVIST

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HISTORIC MODELS

• Shame / Burden Model• Genetic Defect Model• Rehabilitation Model• Civil Rights Model

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LEGACY PERSPECTIVES

• Borrowing from the concept of “Legacy Systems” as it relates to computers and especially software systems

• Old social programming that is still running in our society today

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LEGACY PERSPECTIVES• Shared cultural constructs or beliefs

from historical eras that influence current behavior

• Experienced as paradigms, perspectives, beliefs, philosophies

• “Isms” are a conglomerate of Legacy Perspectives

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LEGACY PERSPECTIVES TRY TO EXPLAIN….

• Why do some people have disabilities?• What is my / society's

responsibility toward people with disabilities?

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HISTORY QUESTIONS - 1•What are the Legacy Perspectives from this era?–A person with disabilities is: –Disability happens because: –Our responsibility toward people with

disabilities is: –We should treat people with disabilities:

•What is “the authority” behind those Legacy Perspectives?–Who said so:

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HISTORY QUESTIONS - 2

What’s the impact of Legacy Perspectives on

People with Disabilities?

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HISTORY QUESTIONS - 3

• What does this model stir up in you?

• How is this challenging some of your beliefs?

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HISTORY QUESTIONS - 4

How do the Legacy Perspectives

from this era show up in US Society?

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LARGE GROUP DEBRIEF

•What surprises you? •What did you learn?

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LARGE GROUP DEBRIEF

Where have you seen these

Legacy Perspectives in action?

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LUNCH BREAK

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POWER, PRIVILEGE, AND RESPONSE

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POWER

• To influence and to do• Power is neither good nor bad• We all have multiple forms of

power• It’s composed of our talents,

skills, abilities, characteristics30

PRIVILEGE• Freedom, license, opportunities and

advantages• Privilege exists in a social context• We are more aware of the privilege that

we don’t have than the privilege that we do have

• Our privilege directly impacts our ability to exercise our power

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EVERYONE HAS POWER

PRIVILEGE IS THE ‘GATEKEEPER’

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COMMON WESTERN PRIVILEGE

(Arnold Mindell, Ph.D.)

UNEARNEDMOSTLY EARNED BOTH

•Age

•Gender

•Sexual Orientation

•Skin Color

•Expertise

•Profession

•Spirituality

• Economic Class

• Education

• Mental Health

• Physical Health

• Religion

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COMMON WESTERN PRIVILEGE

(Arnold Mindell, Ph.D.)

UNEARNEDMOSTLY EARNED BOTH

•Age (Generations)

•Gender

•Sexual Orientation

•Skin Color (Race)

•Expertise

•Profession

•Spirituality

• Economic Class

• Education

• Mental Health & Physical Health (Disabilities)

• Religion

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PRIVILEGE

• Societal privilege is always operating• It’s not inherently good or bad• The more you have, the less

conscious of it you tend to be

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IF LIFE WERE A ROLE PLAYING COMPUTER GAME…

“Straight White Male is the lowest difficulty

setting there is.”~John Scalzi

“Whatever” BlogScience Fiction Writer

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THE WORLD IS PRIMARILY DESIGNED BY AND FOR

PEOPLE WITH PRIVILEGE….

• What are some examples of privilege that people without disabilities take for granted?

• What are some examples of privilege that people with disabilities don’t have?

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USE OF PRIVILEGE• Privilege can be used to empower or

disempower–Abuse of privilege is not inevitable

• When you are aware of your privileges, you can use them for your own benefit and for the benefit of others–Privilege can be used consciously or

unconsciously

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USE OF PRIVILEGE

We can choose to use our privilege as:• Poison, or •Medicine

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POISONOUS USE OF PRIVILEGE Creates the likely Fear Responses of:• Fight:– Grievances, positioning, sabotage, retribution,

speaking truth to power, change efforts, political action…

• Flight:– Withdrawal, transfers, attrition…

• Freeze: – Compliance, submission, silence…

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MEDICINAL USE OF PRIVILEGE

• New information, ideas and solutions

• Advocating for Others

• Curiosity about marginalized voices

• Collaborative leadership

• Co-creating from common interests

• Vigorous debates• Shared influence

Lets us Broaden and Build through:

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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

Share examples of the use of privilege and

how it has impactedyou or others

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“WHEN BILLYBROKE HIS HEAD”

Look for:•Where is privilege being used

as medicine?•Where is privilege being used

as poison?

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DEBRIEF - 1

• How are you doing? What was your reaction to what you saw?•What do you notice about

privilege used as medicine or poison?

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“WHEN BILLYBROKE HIS HEAD”

Notice Legacy Perspectives

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SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

• What was it like to watch this?

• Which Legacy Perspectives did you notice?

• How do Legacy Perspectives impact people’s thoughts and feelings?

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LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

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THREE “P”S

• Meet People• Recognize Potential• Co-Create Possibility

Put people first!48

HOMEWORK

• Think about your own physical and mental health… –What privileges do you have

and not have?• Notice Legacy Perspectives and

their impact

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SEE YOU TOMORROW AT 8:30 AM

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The Mirror Group Welcomes You to

Power & privilege:Disability workshop

AUGUST 8, 2013

51

AGENDA – DAY TWOMORNING• Welcome Back /

Homework Debrief• 3Ps - People, Potential,

Possibilities• Break• Exercise: Land of

Inclusion*• Lunch

AFTERNOON• Creating an Alliance:– Communication

Demonstration– Communication Practice*

• Action Planning• Closing Circle• Evaluation• Adjournment

*Break52

HOMEWORK DEBRIEF

• What did you notice about the privilege (or lack of privilege) you have related to your physical and mental health?

• What did you notice about Legacy Perspectives last night?

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THREE “P”S

• Meet People• Recognize Potential• Co-Create Possibility

Put people first!54

MEET PEOPLE

• See the person

• Set Legacy Perspectives aside

• Bring respect and curiosity

• Connect with the person as an individual rather than a member of any particular group

55

RECOGNIZE POTENTIAL

• Potential = What people can accomplish when they can fully use their power

• What skills, abilities, qualities does this person offer?

• Are Legacy Perspectives clouding my perceptions of this person’s potential?

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CO-CREATE POSSIBILITY

• Be curious about each other’s needs• Be creative together to identify

accommodations– Tools– Agreements– Solutions

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ETIQUETTE: PEOPLE FIRST

• Person with a disability – NOT a disabled person– NOT bound, confined, restricted, afflicted,

stricken, victim of, less fortunate

• Person without disabilities– Not a healthy / able / normal person

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ETIQUETTE: PEOPLE FIRST

• Person with paraplegia– NOT a paraplegic

• Person with diabetes– NOT a diabetic

• Person who uses a wheelchair– NOT a person confined to a

wheelchair

• Deaf person (the exception)

NOTE: We are a learning society...

• Make room for language updates

• Make room for individual preferences

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Make accommodations an “Of Course”

in the workplace…

…primary workplace, meetings, trainings, social events

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LARGE GROUP QUESTION

What gets in the way of seeing people

and their potential?

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LAND OF INCLUSION

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LANDS WORK

• Metaphorical approach to understanding what it means to have a disability

• We will discover some of the different life experiences in each Land

• We will notice challenges and opportunities for inclusion

• We will look at how we can create a unified Land Of Inclusion

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TOURISM GUIDELINES• Travel with a spirit of adventure

• Notice what you appreciate about points of cultural pride

• Learn about local etiquette customs

• Notice what you want to savor or import into your home culture

• Take care of yourself while traveling64

LANDS OF DISABILITY

• Mobility / Dexterity• Speech• Vision• Bodily Functions• Cognitive• Hearing

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GETTING STARTED

• Get up• Quickly visit each Land and

review its Introduction• Briefly imagine what it might be

like to live in this Land• THEN, go to the one you are most

familiar with66

VISIT A FAMILIAR LAND: DISCUSSION & REPORT OUT

• What are the challenges of this Land?

• What might people of this Land want others to understand?

• What are some good etiquette practices in this Land?

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VISIT AN UNKNOWN LAND: DISCUSSION & REPORT OUT

When might a person from this Land be overlooked?

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TIME TO VISITOTHER LANDS

• Find a traveling companion and explore each of the remaining “undiscovered” Lands.

• Discuss:

–How could Goddard be more welcoming to people from these lands?

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LARGE GROUP DEBRIEF:

LAND OF INCLUSION

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LUNCH BREAK

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IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST AWARENESS

• Supervisor is likely to be the first contact for accommodation requests

• Asking for an accommodation is a sensitive and vulnerable action

• It takes practice to be at ease with these conversations

• This is a supervisor’s responsibility

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GSFC BUSINESS CASE• …In order for Goddard as a scientific and

technical community to transform outside of the Center we must transform within...

• “Transforming” our culture requires us to have a fully utilized workforce…

• [this] means using the talents and contributions of every employee equitably, fairly, and accountably.

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COMMUNICATIONS

Conversations about Accommodation:• An opportunity to use our privilege

as medicine• Okay to feel awkward• Give you tools to help

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CREATING AN ALLIANCE

• Safety for open and honest conversations

• Agreements to optimize the work relationship

• Plan for how to re-open conversation when challenges arise

75

CORNELL STUDY Emerging Employment Issues for People with Disabilities: 12/2011

(N=598 Persons with a Disabilities)

Factors that ENCOURAGE Disclosure Identified as “Very Important”

Need for Accommodation 68%

Supportive Supervisor Relationship

64%

Disability-Friendly Workplace 57%Active Disability Recruiting 51%Knowing of Other Successes 50%

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CORNELL STUDY Emerging Employment Issues for People with Disabilities: 12/2011

(N=598 Persons with a Disabilities)

Factors that DISCOURAGE Disclosure Identified as “Very Important”

Risk of Being Fired / Not Hired 73%

Employer May Focus on Disability 62%

Risk of Losing Health Care 62%

Fear of Limited Opportunities 61%

Supervisor May Not Be Supportive 60%

Risk of Being Treated Differently 58%

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USEFUL SKILLS FOR CONVERSATIONS

• Soft Start-Up• Active Listening• Curiosity• Requests– Be direct– Make room for “yes,” “no,” or counteroffer

• Honor Emotions – Yours and others. Name them. Make room for breaks. Slow down.

• Self Management78

C.O.I.N. CONVERSATION• Context…The reasons we’re having this conversation. Include

background about how the employee is valued, and the need for work to get done

• Observation…Name what you have observed about behavior and performance. Just the facts; no interpretation

• Impact…On me, team, customer, organization

• Next Steps…Explore together:

– What to Keep Doing ? Start Doing ? Stop Doing ?

– Design the Accommodation

– Follow-up / Accountability

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PRACTICE SESSIONSOUTLINE

• Context

• Observation

• Impact

• Next Steps…Explore Together– What to Keep Doing ? Start

Doing ? Stop Doing ?

– Design the Accommodation

– Follow-up / Accountability

SKILLS• Soft Start-Up

• Active Listening

• Curiosity

• Requests– Be direct

– Make room for response of “yes,” “no,” or counteroffer

• Honor Emotions: Yours and Others

• Self Management80

COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE DEBRIEF

What will you take away from practicing

C.O.I.N.?81

PERSONAL ACTION PLANNING

• What have you learned about creating a Culture of Inclusion for people with disabilities?

• What is one measurable thing you will do over the next week to use your privilege as medicine?

• To whom will you be accountable?82

“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn.

Tell me a truth and I’ll remember.

Tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”

~Steve Sabol, Founder, NFL Filmsbased on Native American Saying

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CLOSING CIRCLE

• What will live with you from this workshop?

• Going forward, how will you use your privilege as medicine?

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EVALUATION

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DON’T FORGET YOUR WEBSITE:

themirrorgroup.com/nasaID: NASA Password: GSFC

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