Thank you to everyone who joined our July monthly meeting which focused on Expanding Access to Extension programs and services!

July’s conversation was led by our colleague from the Office of Institutional Diversity, Dawn Marie Alapisco, who serves as OSU’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA) Coordinator. In addition to this role, Dawn Marie is an educator and strong advocate and for social justice, accessibility and access.

In preparation for our conversation, the team was asked to consider the following prompts:

1.           Have you received accessibility requests in your programs or offices that have been difficult to accommodate, or caused discomfort within the office or staff?

2.           Have you or someone close to you ever had a hard time accessing a service or other need because of a disability?

By focusing on these prompts and the following questions, we considered both the impacts of, and barriers to communities and individuals receiving Extension services.

• What are your (program’s) goals of providing equitable access?
• What (internal and external) factors impact equity and access?

We encourage everyone to keep these questions in mind, and share them with colleagues or during staff meetings as a brainstorm activity. As always, our office is available for any questions or if additional support is needed.

Join our August meeting next month for the return of our fearless leader, and an overview of an OSU campaign that will help us continue the conversation about Expanding Access.

In partnership,

Your DEI Team