Expand your awareness this August with Introductions to Ableism and Coded Language

Our series of sessions on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) with SHIFT Consulting continues this summer with two webinars that provide an introduction to Ableism and Coded Language:

Intro to Ableism

AUG 16, 2023, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Ableism and accessibility are ongoing concerns for millions of individuals in the United States. This session is focused on helping participants learn more about how ableism impacts the disability community and ways to address it. Best practices will always be changing, and members of the disability community and allies must be committed to continual listening and learning.

In this session participants will talk about the self-advocacy movement in the disability community, and discuss the difference between cultural competence and cultural humility. They will also learn about the medical, social, and disability justice models of disability and explore the application of these models through case studies. Finally, participants will discuss how to be an advocate for members of the disabled community and the importance of respecting needs for autonomy and self-determination.

Intro to Coded Language

AUG 24, 2023, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Language and communication are components of culture that are coded with meanings, attitudes, beliefs, and power dynamics. These codes are pervasive and have impacts on relational and structural outcomes. Over time, language and its meanings become layered and can function differently as a result. In other words, meanings of words and their implications change over time. 

In this hour-long introduction to the concept of coded language, participants will:

• examine the definition, history, and implications of coded language (also called dog-whistles)
• increase their awareness around the coded language that many of us use in our daily lives
• gain practical skills around how to critically assess one’s own language and respond when others use coded language

To ensure a safe and open learning environment for these complex topics, neither of these two webinars will not be recorded and will not be available as part of our Training Archive. Additional details and links to register for all these events, and more, can be found on our Training Page.