Welcome!!
Inclusive Leadership in Action
Please Stand by for the Presenter
Pennsylvania’s University Center for Excellence
in Developmental Disabilities
Education, Research and Service
VISION
A society where all people are valued and
respected, and where all people have the
knowledge, opportunity and power to improve
their lives and the lives of others.
MISSION
The Institute on Disabilities leads by example,
creating connections and promoting networks
within and among communities so that people
with disabilities are recognized as integral to
the fabric of community life.
Today’s Webinar:
Considering Individuals with Disabilities as
Members of your Board of Directors
Guy Caruso, Ph.D., Western Coordinator
John Tague, JT Consulting
Diversity Includes Disability
Webinar Series
A three part program designed to support meaningful connections
and leadership opportunities between individuals with disabilities
and your Board of Directors.
Diversity Includes Disability
Webinar Series Part 2
How to Accommodate Individuals with Disabilities on Your
Board of Directors
Registration Link:
http://ow.ly/L2v2K
Kathy Miller, Director of Community Services
Jaclyn Nagle, Children and Youth Services Coordinator
Abilities in Motion, Reading, PA
Lynette Savoy, Vice President, Speaking for Ourselves
May 13, 2015
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Diversity Includes Disability
Webinar Series Part 3
Creating a successful group culture on your
Board of Directors
Registration Link:
http://ow.ly/LAZxw
Greg Crowley, Ph. D and Una Martone
June 10, 2015
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Housekeeping Issues
Please type your questions in the
Chat box section found on the
lower right hand corner of the
screen.
Housekeeping Issues
We will answer your questions at
the end of the Webinar.
Please take a few moments at the end of the
webinar…….
…to complete this brief evaluation.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ILABoardMembers
Thank you!
Inclusive Leadership in Action (ILA)
The vision of the ILA project is that community
organizations include qualified individuals with
disabilities as fully participating members of their
decision-making bodies, boards and committees.
Inclusive Leadership in Action (ILA)
The mission of ILA is to identify, develop and
disseminate evidence-based resources, materials
and techniques on including individuals with
disabilities to decision making bodies of
community organizations.
Inclusive Leadership in Action (ILA)
This Project is funded by the Pennsylvania
Developmental Disabilities Council.
Inclusive Leadership in Action (ILA)
Technical assistance will be provided to community organizations in order to:
• Recruit
• Promote and
• Sustain qualified individuals as fully participating members of their
decision making bodies, boards and committees.
ILA Community Partners
Self-Advocates United as 1
Leadership Harrisburg
The Coro Center for Civic
Leadership: Pittsburgh
JT Consulting Services
ILA Group Model Structure
ILA’s Advisory Committee and Work Group structure is
designed to:
• Model successful diverse decision making; and
• Demonstrate the value of individuals with disabilities
actively participating and serving as leaders on decision
making bodies.
ILA Advisory Committee and Work Groups
The Advisory Committee is comprised of 16 individuals
from across Pennsylvania representing:
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Community Leadership Development Organizations
Disability Organizations
Disability Leaders
Board Members of generic community organizations
50% of ILA Committee members are individuals
experiencing disabilities
ILA Presentation Objectives
• Discuss disability as a natural part of life
• Share the successes of Board members who have
disabilities
• Explore the benefits and challenges of diversity for
organization’s decision making bodies
• Share the results of ILA’s statewide survey of
organizations and their views on diversity
Let’s Talk About Disabilities
• “Disability is Natural” and has been part of
the human experience since the beginning of
time and continues to be a natural part of
the human condition.
• Everyone experiences a disability in some
way or will be if they live long enough
Disability is Natural and Part of the
Human Condition
• About 7.6 million people experience difficulty
hearing, including 1.1 million whose difficulty
is severe. About 5.6 million use a hearing aid.
• Roughly 30.6 million have difficulty walking or
climbing stairs; or use a wheelchair, cane,
crutches or walker.
Disability is Natural and Part of the
Human Condition
Your odds of becoming an
individual with a disability before
you retire are about 1 in 3.
Disability is Natural and Part of the
Human Condition
• 1 in 5 Americans live with a disability. Almost
58 Million or 19%.
• About 8.1 million people have difficulty
seeing, including 2.0 million who are blind or
unable to see.
Types of Disabilities
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Sensory
Mental
Physical
Intellectual
Neurological
My Story – Our Story
John
• Port Authority of Allegheny County
• Performing Arts for Children Pittsburgh
• Commission on Human Relations
• Pittsburgh Jaycees
Our Story
• Three Rivers Work Force Investment Board
(Chaz)
• Pittsburgh Housing Authority (Janet)
• World Health Organization (Kate)
• Pittsburgh Ballet (Linda)
Let’s Talk About Disabilities
• The real disability is society’s perception of the
differences individual’s experience.
• Changing perceptions and providing
opportunities versus environmental and
attitudinal barriers.
• Beyond Tokenism
Research Findings in the Literature on
Including Individuals with Disabilities on Boards
• It is difficult finding evidence-based
research stating why it would be
important/ valuable to have
individuals with disabilities on a
board of directors.
Research Findings in the Literature on Including
Individuals with Disabilities on Boards
As Konrad, Prasad and Pringle note in their
2006 article “The majority of literature on
diversity on boards concerned gender. There
were a few evidence sources relating to
ethnicity and there was almost no information
on disability.”
Research Findings in the Literature on Including
Individuals with Disabilities on Boards
“ Whilst most academic research tackling board
diversity is focused on women, numerous social
groups (racial/ethnic minorities, people with
disabilities, homosexuals) remain conspicuously
underrepresented in decision-making in general
and on boards of directors in particular, and this
is also a gap in the literature.” (Stone-Romeo E.,
Stone D., and Lukaszewski K., 2006)
Research Findings in the Literature on
Including Individuals with Disabilities on Boards
In a survey of non profit boards from across Canada, conducted
in 2008, we found that the majority of board members were
between thirty and sixty years old, and 44 percent were women.
Almost 28 percent of the organizations indicated that there was
at least one person with a disability on their board, while 22.4
percent of those surveyed had a board member who was openly
lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Only 13 percent of board members were
what in Canada are termed “visible minorities,” or persons of
color. (Bradshaw P., Fredette C., 2012)
Why is Diversity so Important?
“Recognize that diversity brings richness. Diversity
brings new ideas. Diversity brings growth. Diversity
brings dynamism. Diversity brings energy. And lack of
diversity means sameness, dullness, lack of growth.”
Interviewed board member
Why is a Diverse Board a Benefit?
• Diversity for the sake of diversity, even without pointed constituent
representation, can form a base for innovation and creative
thinking.
• A diverse board sends a message and sets a powerful example for
the entire organization. (Bradshaw P., Fredette C., 2012)
Why is a Diverse Board a Benefit?
• By understanding the power of diversity and by
utilizing it appropriately, a nonprofit board possesses
the basic tools for creating a responsive and openminded organization.
Why is a Diverse Board a Benefit?
• More diversity leads to superior financial performance, better
strategic decision making, increased responsiveness to
community and client stakeholders, and an enhanced ability
to attract and retain top talent. (Bradshaw P., Fredette C.,
2012)
The Value of Diversity on
Decision Making Boards
A homogeneous board may not always be ready
to deal effectively with problems due to an
inherent near- sightedness. Diversity on a board
breeds varying opinions, approaches, attitudes,
and solutions. (Bradshaw P., Fredette C., 2012)
The Value of Diversity on
Decision Making Boards
• It requires open-mindedness, curiosity, acceptance, and
responsiveness, which can ultimately facilitate understanding
and willingness to work together. This is clearly not the easiest
way to force a group to make decisions but different or
opposing backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, habits and norms can
force a consensus-oriented approach to conflict management.
The Value of Diversity on
Decision Making Boards
The cumulative implications of diversity and
inclusion are complex and intertwined, but
largely support our general theme that
functional and social inclusion enhance the
effectiveness and viability of governing
groups, particularly in relation to making the
more diverse groups effective, cohesive, and
committed. (Bradshaw P., Fredette C., 2012)
Diverse Governing Groups Need Not Sacrifice Board
Performance for the Sake of Increased Diversity.
FUNCTIONAL INCLUSION
SOCIAL INCLUSION
The Value of Diversity on
Decision Making Boards
The (direct and indirect) patterns of
relationships that we found between
board diversity and board effectiveness
speak to the transformative potential that
lies at the heart of inclusion. (Bradshaw,
Fredette, 2012)
Summary of Benefits -Diversity
Brings:
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Richness
New ideas, Innovation & Creative Thinking
Growth
Dynamism
Energy
Summary of Benefits of Diversity
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Sends a Message & Sets a Powerful Example
Creates Responsiveness & 0pen-mindedness
Superior Financial Performance
Better Strategic Decision-making
Enhanced Ability to Attract & Retain Talent
Breeds varying Opinions, Approaches,
Attitudes & Solutions
Summary of Benefits of Diversity
• Different or Opposing Backgrounds, Cultures,
Beliefs, Habits & Norms can Force a
Consensus-oriented Approach to Conflict
Management
• Functional & Social Inclusion Enhance the
Effectiveness & Viability Making More Diverse
Groups Effective, Cohesive, & Committed
• Transformative Potential Lies in Inclusion
ILA Statewide Board Diversity Survey
• The Research Work Group developed a 14
Question Survey to collect information and
attitudes on Board Diversity including Disability
• Disseminated to Community Organizations
through Survey Monkey
• To date we have 94 respondents representing
35 organizations
ILA Statewide Board Diversity Survey
Respondents represented the following
Groups:
90% from Non-Profit organizations
15% For-Profit organizations
15% Government organizations
ILA Statewide Board Diversity Survey
Survey respondents included:
75% Board Members
35% Board Officers
25% Staff members
ILA Statewide Board Diversity Survey
The top 3 responses about the value of Board
Diversity
#1 Inclusion of many perspectives makes for
higher quality decisions
#2 People of all races and genders should be
included
#3 Diversity is the standard for decision making
ILA Statewide Board Diversity Survey
88% of the respondents said that
their organization actively sought to
recruit members with the goal of
increasing diversity
ILA State wide Board Diversity Survey
• Types of Diversity PA Boards are looking for
– 95% Racial Diversity
– 75% Gender/ Age Diversity
– 50% Disability Diversity
– 35% Sexual Orientation Diversity
ILA Statewide Board Diversity Survey
100% of board member
respondents indicated that they
would consider the inclusion of a
qualified candidate with a
disability to serve on their board
of directors or decision making
group if they knew where/how to
identify and recruit them.
ILA Statewide Board Diversity Survey
81% of respondents indicated that
they would very likely nominate a
highly qualified candidate with a
disability to serve on their
decision making group.
ILA Statewide Board Diversity Survey
39 Board members indicated that they would
be interested in receiving information on
recruiting and supporting a qualified person
with a disability to serve on their decision
making groups/board of directors
The Value of Diversity on
Decision Making Boards
• Boards are often expected to “represent” the
organization’s constituency. This is a way to
create accountability and form a link with the
constituents, as long as representation equals
to reflecting the needs of the stakeholders,
not creating political fights between board
members.
The Value of Diversity on
Decision Making Boards
• As John Carver says: “Boards need to work on behalf
of the ownership. Ownership input — in all its
diversity — is the only morally defensible foundation
for board decisions.” A uniform board may not make
the necessary effort to create this ‘microcosm of
ownership’.
Questions
Remember the Other Two Webinars on
Diversity Includes Disability
Webinar Series Part 2- May 13, 2015, 12 to 1:00 PM
How to accommodate Individuals with Disabilities on your
Board of Directors
REGISTER ONLINE http://ow.ly/L2v2K
Webinar Series Part 3 Three - June 10, 2015, 12 to 1:00 PM
Creating a successful group culture on your Board of Directors
REGISTER ONLINE http://ow.ly/LAZxw
Please take a few moments at the end of the
webinar…….
…to complete this brief evaluation.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ILABoardMembers
Thank you!
For more information about ILA
Contact:
Denise Beckett
ILA Project Coordinator
215-204-4979 (voice)
215-204-1805 (TTY)
215-204-6336 (FAX)
Denise.Beckett@temple.edu
http://disabilities.temple.edu/programs/leadership/ilia.s
html