Lyft’s Post

So have been coming across this whole narrative of people advocating the slum cover-up for G-20. The people who support it, how fair do they think it is? The “Cleaning our house” argument, how valid is it? When guests come over, do you hide the family members who do not maintain a healthy lifestyle generally due to very obvious reasons or do you inform them about it and tell them to be prepared. If you choose the second option, why is this alternative not applicable to those areas. Wonder if they had any idea that they are the ones who constitute roughly around 50% of the city that the event is held in, let alone the entire country and still are being hidden as if they bring shame to the country. How impressed are the global counterparts by this act? Will they evaluate the organization of the event, on how well the task of concealing the most rightful citizens of the country is done. In a country like ours, where the upper class corporate houses, could care less about what goes around in the country because honestly they are the least affected by it, or more, are involved in it for their own sake, the middle and the lower class are the ones who have the sense of entitlement or the participatory urge to the country’s progress. Imagine who would be more happy on the success of the space project of the country, a business tycoon who would only think of it as just another gimmick, or a lower middle class family who have children dreaming to become a space scientists when they grow up. You already do have the answer. So with all this in mind, what would have happened if they were given the opportunity to have that sense of participation which is probably the only thing they could get from the build up from this event. How hard it is to picture people living in those slums starting to clean up their not-so pleasing houses, even get a “pakki chhat” they’d have planned for from past some years, got rid of the waste in their area,  even paint their not so paintable walls with the colors they did not have in their life and maybe even wear new clothes as if its diwali, just if they had been given this opportunity to be a part of this, with all the respect they deserve. Because afterall, inclusion is what we all wish for, be it them, or us sitting in the air conditioned rooms and some of us who are sticked to their screens feeling that hollow sense of pride when an XYZ country is given the title of being “included” in the forum, as if excluding ours was necessary for it.

We have partnered with New Intent to launch a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Pathway toolkit for the #businessevents sector. The guide focuses on best practice on DEI to embrace diversity and inclusion in the sector. Read more and access the toolkit: https://lnkd.in/e8BDrXny #diversity #businessevents #inclusion #equity #businesstoolkit #diversityresources #eventmanagers #mice #businessvisitors

This evening marks the end of “Neurodiversity Celebration Week”, and I am proud to describe that we at Asda have made an incredible start this year with explaining what neurodiversity is, as well as building a growing and exciting network for our 100k plus colleagues. Highlighting how it might impact those in the workplace, and how you/we can ensure the working environment is a positive and inclusive place for the neurodiverse has been our initial priority. I am lucky enough to be a Co-chair of the D&I agenda at Asda with my particular focus on accessibility in our work place, a subject close to my heart given my own lived experiences with this challenging subject. Myself and fellow Co-Chair Emma B. stand alongside all our colleagues in promoting and shaping the disability inclusion strategy with the support and guidance of our executive sponsors David Hills, Sue Tunmore, Michael Gleeson and Hayley Tatum Four facts to get our heads around as we enter a new age of total inclusivity….. 1) At least 1 in 5 of the working-age population are classed disabled and 80% of those disabilities are invisible. 2) Teams with neurodivergent professionals in key roles can be 30% more productive than those without them.. 3) Neurodiverse people while making up less than 20% of the working age population represent 55% of business owners, 45% of executives, and 32% of senior management. 4) Reasearch has found that 76% of neurodivergent workers are more likely to stay with an employer that priorities inclusion and promotes career opportunity’s for this population. So this is important stuff and relevant to us all. #neurodiversitycelebrationweek #neurodiversity

"So Clair, what are these Neotists all about? I mean is it like a volunteer group? I mean I've heard of them and I'm aware of them through the stuff they do with the council, but what are they? It sounds ridiculous but I really don't know. Is it a volunteer group to do art-based stuff around St Neots?" A question from someone who knows me and Richard and a few other Neotists quite well, who has lived in St Neots for the last 10 years we've been around, but felt a bit confused and quite rightly asked the question. It made me realise that we've fallen into that trap like many of you here on LinkedIn have (see what I did there? Making it relevant...) We forgot to shout about the things we do, who we are, how we do them, who we work with, what we achieve, basically all of it. For 10 years. When you're busy doing the do, you totally forget to stop for that selfie, or write up that article, or share that win. It's great that we've been so busy focused and we've achieved so much - however, the downside of that is that people have mistakenly attributed our work and achievements to others. There are those who will only too gladly take credit for your work, fill the gap you leave from not posting relentlessly about your every move, who will ride on the back of your success. So it's time to own it! Own the part we have to play in St Neots and the future plans of the largest town in Cambridgeshire. Shout about the award winning St Neots Festival which returns this July. Reach out to each of our members who are keen to collaborate and grow with us. Take the wins and share the successes! If you'd like to know more about those Neotists, take a look at how it all began... (link in comments cos it's LinkedIn init)

Accessibility is best when it is planned from the start. When planning an event, accessibility should be built into everything from the registration website to the thank you for coming email. When accessibility isn't considered until the final stages of event planning, gaps have already been formed that make it difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to participate. To learn more about event accessibility, come to our Event Accessibility training on September 13th. For more information and to register, visit https://lnkd.in/gfKC3SMk #a11y #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityForAll #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #DisabilityCommunity #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilityRepresentation #EventAccessibility

The standout for me from this latest round of research? Young people (ie the audiences of the future) care if a cultural organisation shares their own social and environmental values. It's a signal being sent loud and clear to become more values-driven as organisations; define our values and take genuine action in line with them (not just paying lip service, mind you; people can see right through that...) https://lnkd.in/eeJpZX7t

Just in case you missed this earlier, this happened today. If you run events, programmes or community spaces for specific genders then I wrote this for you. It's a short easy read, it's cheaper than a fish and chip tea and it will give you the insights (and the confidence) to know exactly how to be inclusive whilst maintaining the sense of safety and community that really matters to you. No more fannying about with 'I want to be inclusive but I don't want to p*ss off Whatserface' or 'But I can't do that because I might f*CK it up and that would be embarrassing'. I see you. I know you want to do better. I know you can. I've got you. I wrote this book for you. Please help me spread the word, share it around, buy it for your mates, or for the person you know really needs it, but doesn't quite know it yet. And leave me a review! (Pretty please.) Let me leave you with these gorgeous words from Carrie Ann Booth: "If you are a business owner, community host, or simply interact with humans, G Sabini-Roberts' When Is A Women’s Group Not A Women’s Group?’ is an essential read. The book underpins the importance of inclusivity, emphasising that it is not just a nicety but a necessity for each and everyone of us. G challenges the reader to reconsider preconceived notions, presenting the content in a manner that is both digestible and instantly impactful." https://amzn.eu/d/05HpF3VJ

Making Events Work for Everyone 💫 Some great insights in this new report on making large-scale events more inclusive from Spirit of 2012 – based in part on access and inclusion roundtables we hosted ahead of #CityofCulture2025 https://lnkd.in/e9eNqWSA

The Double Ninth Festival is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, also known as the "Old Man's Day". Every year on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, people gather together to express their respect and blessings to the elderly. On this special day, we should not only respect and care for the elderly, but also think about how to let them exert their value and wisdom in the workplace. Older people are often overlooked and marginalized in the workplace. However, they have a wealth of life experience and professional knowledge that can bring valuable assets to the business. The Double Ninth Festival is a time to remind us to value the elderly and an opportunity for us to think about how to better utilize their talents and wisdom. On this Double Ninth Festival, we call on business and workplace leaders to value the value and contributions of older employees. By providing training and development opportunities that allow older workers to refresh their knowledge and skills, they can continue to make important contributions to the business. In addition, we should also respect the opinions and suggestions of older employees, give them more participation and decision-making rights, and make full use of their wisdom and experience. Double Ninth Festival is a time to think about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We should cherish the existence of older employees, not only because they are our predecessors, but also because they are our treasures. #festival #DoubleNinthFestival