Organizations

Creating an inclusive Board and Committee culture helps all Members, including people with lived experience, to participate in a meaningful way.

Reflect On Your Commitment

What needs to change so people with lived experience can take part in decision making in our organization?
How important is it that people with lived experience help shape our organization?

Are we willing to change how our Boards and Committees are structured and how meetings run to support everyone’s participation?
How will we actively avoid tokenism?

Ensure meaningful support for people with lived experience, such as a support staff person or Board Mentor before and/or during meetings. If a support staff or Board Mentor is not assigned, then there should be someone available to ensure accommodations and support are available.
Identify champions on Boards and Committees who understand and support the full involvement of people with disabilities on said Boards and Committees.
Promote clear goals and targets for inclusion of people with lived experience in the organization’s strategic plan, including Board and Committee roles.
Monitor the progress towards achieving the goals for inclusion.
Develop and approve a plan, with time and resources, to support people with lived experience of intellectual disability to participate on Boards and Committees.

Address common concerns such as liability, conflict of interest and tokenism.
When creating new policies related to governance ensure that the policies reflect the principles of plain (accessible) language.
Update governance policies to:

Recognize the importance of people with lived experience of intellectual disability on Boards and Committees.
Describe the process and resources that will support their participation.
Review policies to ensure that they are in plain (accessible) language.

Complete the Board and Committee Diversity Self-Assessment (See Resource B).
Provide “Listen, Include and Respect” training to the members of Boards and Committees.

Offer mentorship and opportunities to observe Board and Committee meetings.
Create a program for people who want to learn about Boards and Committees before joining.
Include people with lived experience on Boards and Committees so they can develop relevant skills and knowledge.

Connect with disability organizations that support people with lived experience in governance roles.
Work with advocate groups within your organization to ask how to encourage people with lived experience to join Boards and Committees and be involved in decision making roles.
Commit to having more than one person with lived experience on Boards and Committees.
Highlight the role of the Boards and Committees at the AGM. Ensure that the AGM is accessible for everyone, by:

Planning for an accessible meeting
Using different methods to share information, for people who do not use technology
Using plain (accessible) language in all communications

Review recruitment and onboarding processes to make sure they are accessible.
Talk with newer Members about their onboarding experience and what could be improved.
Provide an Interview Information Sheet so interested candidates can prepare for interviews.
Invite recruits and new Members to share any accommodations they need to fully take part in meetings and activities.
Consider cost barriers such as transportation and support staff, and plan how to reduce or cover these costs.
Provide clear information, in accessible formats, about:

Plan activities that help all Members get to know each other personally and ensure everyone can attend and participate.
Provide training for potential applicants and new Members on:

Ensure meaningful support for people with lived experience, such as a support staff person or Board Mentor. This support should be available before and during meetings. If a support staff or Board Mentor is not assigned, then there should be someone available to ensure accommodations and support are available.