Expanding Access through Civil Rights Activities

1
Expanding AccessthroughCivil Rights Activities

• Cooperative Extension
• Winter District Meetings
• 2007-2008

2
Learning Objectives for Today

• Civil rights in Coop Ext.
• The purpose and goals of civil rights in program
  outreach
• Legal context
• Civil rights in Extension program development
• Individual responsibilities
• Best practices for outreach

3
Civil Rights in Coop. Ext.

• Structured program of outreach activities and
  county reviews designed in 1996-97
• Pilots reviews in 1998
• Since then, county reviews, filing and charts,
  web materials
• Redesign effort in 2006
• Pilot civil rights days in 2007

4
Shift in Focus

• More sharing best practices in outreach to
  underrepresented audiences.
• To the extent possible, aligning review process
  with RBC
• More education of colleagues about civil rights
  principles
• More stress on activities that expand access
  throughout the program development process
• Making connections with other efforts to promote
  nondiscrimination and valuing differences in
  staff and clientele

5
Valuing Inclusion and Diversity

• We value differences in people, ideas, programs
  and partnerships.
• Valuing inclusion and diversity guides
  educational programming and our relationships in
  the workplace and with our clientele

6
Valuing Inclusion and Diversity

• Building Trust Through a Responsibility Based
  Culture
• Culturally Competent Programming
• Special Projects Immigration Summit, Mexico
  Immersion
• Hmong Task Force, website
• Latino Task Force, website
• Native American Task Force, website
• Multicultural Awareness Program

7
Valuing Inclusion and Diversity

• Civil Rights and ADA Activities,
• Recruiting and Hiring a Diverse Workforce
• Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity in the
  Workplace
• International Opportunities

8
Civil Rights ActivitiesGoals

• To expand access to people from traditionally
  underrepresented groups.
• Promote nondiscrimination and the valuing of
  differences among staff and clientele

9
Legal Context

• Compliance with federal and state Civil Rights
  Laws. Special emphasis on Title VI of the Civil
  Rights Act of 1964

10
Proactive Measures

• Required to assure equal opportunity and make up
  for historic and continuing discrimination toward
  protected groups.
• Women, African Americans, American Indians and
  Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians Other
  Pacific Islanders, Hispanics or Latinos

11
Proactive Measures

• All reasonable effort to reach these protected
  categories, moving toward parity. Due to past and
  present discrimination and the continuing impact
  of historical discrimination.
• Also, discrimination prohibited on the basis of
  race, color, gender/sex, creed, disability,
  religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual
  orientation, pregnancy, marital or parental
  status, arrest or conviction record, veteran
  status (federal and state laws)

12
Race

• Race is a group identity historically related to
  a local geographic or global human population.
  It is traditionally distinguished as a group by
  genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
  Race is believed to be a social construct
  without biological merit that was designed to
  maintain dominance, and slavery was most
  prominent example.

13
Ethnicity

• Ethnicity is a group identity assigned to
  specific groups of people who share a common
  linguistic, religious and/or cultural heritage.
  In some cases, there is also a shared racial or
  national identity. All people are of an ethnic
  heritage. Ethnicity is not synonymous with
  race. For example, a black French woman might
  consider her ethnicity as French while her race
  is determined by her genetic heritage (African).

14
Parity

• An Extension program is in parity when the
  participation of individuals of minority groups
  reflects the proportionate representation in the
  population of potential recipients.

15
Potential Audience

• Potential recipients are persons or groups within
  your defined geographic area who might be
  interested in or benefit from the educational
  program.

16
All Reasonable Effort

• Three steps are required to demonstrate that all
  reasonable efforts have been made--
• the use of all available mass media
• the use of personal letters and/or flyers or
  publications
• the use of personal contacts (invitations to
  participate) by Extension staff.

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Individual Responsibilities

• Learn about the demographics of your
  countyCensus, local data, local knowledge
• Define potential audience for each program
• Work w/partners and stakeholders who represent
  and serve those protected by Civil Rights Laws to
  analyze situations of cultures and ethnicities in
  your county. Consider power and privilege.

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Individual Responsibilities

• Carry out all reasonable efforts to reach those
  who are representative of the cultures and
  ethnicities, genders and ages in your county in
  all stages of your programming. Special efforts
  directed to women/men, American Indians, African
  Americans, Asians, Native Hawaiian and other
  Pacific Islanders, Hispanics/Latinos
• Move toward the goal of parity in program
  participation

19
Individual Responsibilities

• Conduct meetings and educational sessions in
  facilities in welcoming and accessible locations
  and provide accommodations for people with
  disabilities
• Know where to find UW-Extension affirmative
  action and equal opportunity policies on the Web
  or in your county office.
• Understand how to respond to a discrimination or
  harassment complaint

20
Individual Responsibilities

• Create a set of civil rights files
• Demographics and Potential Audiences
• Partner Information
• Workplace Information
• Special Outreach Activities
• Civil Rights Charts 1-4
• Civil Rights Action Plan

21
C. R. Outreach in ProgramDevelopment

• Situation Analysis
• Understand demographics
• Recognize power and privilege within society and
  the community.
• Be inclusive in seeking input
• Use diversity matrix

22
C. R. Outreach in ProgramDevelopment

• Situation Analysis
• Learn about cultures in the situation
• Invite participation through special activities
  and personal contacts
• Hold meetings in accessible facilities

23
C.R. Outreach in ProgramDevelopment

• Inputs
• Define potential audience
• Determine the demographics of the potential
  audience
• Enlist diverse volunteers and partners
• Funding needed to reach traditionally underserved
• Use culturally competent research
• Review materials for cultural competence
• Appropriate technology
• Partner with those who do not discriminate

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C. R. Outreach in ProgramDevelopment

• Outputs
• Civil Rights Action Plan
• Analyze demographics
• Use all reasonable efforts to reach those
  protected by Civil Rights Act and other diverse
  audiences
• Meet at welcoming and accessible locations
• Learn about cultures of audience
• Use culturally competent educational materials

25
C.R. Outreach in ProgramDevelopment

• Outcomes/Impact
• Understand outcomes from the cultural
  perspectives of participants. Use informants and
  confidants from the cultures other than your own.

26
C. R. Outreach in ProgramDevelopment

• Evaluation through Entire Model
• Apply principles of inclusiveness
• Use culturally competent and appropriate data
  collection methods
• Interpret data through the cultural lens of your
  participants

27
Civil Rights People with Disabilities

• Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Section 504 Non-discrimination
• Section 508 Accessible Information Technology
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Wisconsin Fair Employment law

28
Definition of Disabled

• Is based upon a functional limitation, not a
  diagnosis or medical label.
• Substantial limitation in one or more major life
  activities.
• Includes both visible and invisible disabilities.

29
Accessible Information

• Websites, emails, documents
• Ex. Hyperlinks, formatting, outline
• Accessible Electronic Communication
• Web Accessibility for All
• AccVerify software

30
Who is Protected?

• Individual with a physical, mental, or emotional
  impairment that substantially limits one or more
  major life activities.
• record of having such an impairment
• regarded as having such an impairment
• Also cannot discriminate based upon an
  association with someone with a disability

31
Requirements

• Cannot discriminate
• Provide Program Access
• Modifications to policies, practices, or
  procedures
• Provision of auxiliary aids and services in order
  to ensure effective communication
• Provide Reasonable Accommodations (employment)

32
ADA Limitations

• Undue Burden
• Direct Threat
• Fundamental Alteration

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Notice

• Include the accommodation statement on
  registration and/or information materials.

34
Remember

• Dont
• Make assumptions about a persons disability.
• Talk about a persons disability where others can
  overhear your discussion.
• Charge a fee for an accommodation.

35
Remember

• Do
• Hold your events and meetings in accessible
  locations.
• Include an ADA statement on any registration
  materials, announcements and publications.
• Send invoices for accommodations to JoAnn Hinz,
  Coop. Ext. Deans Office, Rm 601, 432 N. Lake
  St., Madison, 53706.
• Contact Christine Curley, ADA Specialist for
  assistance 432 N. Lake St., Room 501, Madison,
  53706, 608-265-2406