Dianne P. Hengst, Psy.D.
Director/Assistant Dean
Office for Students with Disabilities
The University of Texas at Arlington
Disability and Diversity: Working with Students and Employees
Viewing people with disabilities as a specific cultural group within a diverse society is a new way of thinking when it comes to celebrating diversity and inclusion. Nonetheless, educators can make disability more salient and can stimulate thinking about how having a disability affects a person's identity, motivation and development. Currently, the U. S. Department of Education predicts that at least seven percent of those students entering postsecondary education have some type of disability. Yet, colleges and educators are often unprepared when it comes to including this population as part of our diversity training.
Participants who attend this presentation will gain a basic understanding of how disability is part of our diversity in higher education and how negative images and stereotypes affect how students with disabilities continue to face barriers in their efforts to navigate all aspects of campus life. In addition, participants will be exposed to "disability etiquette" that will strengthen their leadership abilities and help them build a community of inclusion for all individuals with disabilities.
Micro-inequities: Subtle Discrimination
Workplace Application: You will walk away armed with a clear understanding of how powerful subtle and seemingly insignificant words and actions can be to the future of ones career and ones organization. You will also learn specific tools that leaders need to spearhead improvements in workplace leadership, relationships, diversity, and performance.
Dr. Pam Johnson will discuss how the many "subtle" forms of communication, behavior and discrimination can impact an employee, and either hurt the organization or help make the organization prosper. The impact of these messages can be in all areas of leadership, including, hiring, promotion, selection for special projects, daily behavior, performance feedback, and even social interaction between supervisors, peers, and other employees. The program will also explore where these subtle yet powerful messages come from, the power of the "inner circle", manager expectations and decision making, and effective feedback.
This interactive program is based on the groundbreaking research and readings from Dr. Mary P. Rowe and Stephen Young exploring how daily subtle messages often affect employment, management, and leadership decision making.
