March 2024 – “We cannot all succeed if half of us are held back.” - Malala Yousafzai
One of the celebrations this month is Women’s History Month, which acknowledges important contributions women have made throughout history. This month is also National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month which seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities.
Our organization contains many amazing women and people who have or are impacted by developmental disabilities. Our Equity Program which consists of two passionate and proud women of color. The Equity Program also has an external newsletter sent out to subscribers about quarterly. If interested complete this online form.
2024-2027 Equity Strategic Plan: Our Equity Program completed our second round of listening sessions in February. We appreciate the feedback and support shared for implementing the strategic plan.
Interested in providing feedback on the strategic plan?
- Preview the 2024-2027 Equity Strategic Plan by clicking the link above or here.
- Staff who are interested in providing feedback and/or ideas can use this online form https://forms.office.com/g/WTy7pgWUcv (please review the strategic plan information before providing feedback to understand the context).
- We will add the finalized version to our Inside Lane page under Department > Equity Program and our program website (coming soon).
Diverse Business Directory (DBD) Updates: Our Equity Program is honored to have recently been interviewed by the Eugene Weekly regarding the DBD. View the digital article here or pick up a physical copy at one of the newspaper locations around town.
- We have an intern, Desi Acuay from the University of Oregon working with us through mid-May and his project will focus on growing the DBD. We are glad to have Desi on our team and appreciate his help with expanding our DBD.
- We now have English and Spanish versions of the DBD business submission form – Both versions are linked here: English and Spanish
Equity Program Advisory Board (EPAB) is Recruiting Members: The EPAB (formerly known as the Equity & Access Advisory Board, EAAB) is being restarted and we do not have any current members due to its restructuring. The EPAB collaborates with the County Administrator and the Equity Program on the adoption and implementation of the three-year strategic plan. We are recruiting new members who live within the geographical boundaries of Lane County, with the aim of having at least one representative per district as determined by the most up to date district maps.
- We are seeking community members that are:
- Committed to and actively participating in equity work on an organizational and/or community level. We encourage people that are doing equity work in both formal and non-formal settings to apply, you do not need to be in an official role to demonstrate commitment and ability to do equity work.
- Respectful of other cultures, experiences, and the intersection of perspectives to encourage authentic participation of all members.
- People representing the diversity of our community are encouraged to apply (including but not limited to women, those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, persons with a disability, veterans, and people who live in rural Lane County). We are most interested in finding the best candidates for the advisory board, and candidates may come from a less traditional background. We encourage people to think broadly about your background, lived experience, and skill set for the role.
Partners in Diversity (PiD): In July 2023, Lane County joined as a member of PiD whose mission is to create economic prosperity in Oregon and southwest Washington by working with employers to attract, retain, and develop professionals of color and diversity influencers. We've been enjoying our membership perks, such as the quarterly networking event (Say Hey!) held in different locations in Oregon.
- All county staff can create an account using your @lanecountyor.gov email to view the resources and attend events member events. Click the link above or go to www.partnersindiversity.org
- Staff attended the most recent one on 2/27 which was held in Corvallis (photo below).
In closing, we hope that during this month and throughout the year everyone will pause, acknowledge, and elevate the amazing women in our lives. We also encourage folks to reflect on ways we can be more inclusive of people with developmental disabilities as we continue to foster a greater sense of belonging in our workplace and world!