Diversity & Equity

Coverage of programs that deal with gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability, and socioeconomic status; are focused on fair access to resources and opportunities; and, those that create environments where people feel welcome, respected, and fully accepted.

El Bienestar de los Educadores: Dando pasos de bebé, pero avanzando

Si bien los maestros y administradores de K-12 se consideran trabajadores esenciales, y tal vez nunca más que durante la pandemia de COVID-19, las investigaciones muestran que el bienestar de estas personas ha disminuido.

Latest in Diversity & Equity
From left The Wood family at Celebration: Amy, Ellery and Aidan.
Theater chain finds ways to make more movies accessible to everyone

From Sensory Showtimes to closed captioning, Celebration Cinema is finding new ways to make movies and entertainment accessible to everyone.

Carol Sodman-Morris serves as a home visit nurse for the  Achieving Birth Equity Through Systems Transformation program.
Michigan project creates framework for communities to reduce racial disparities in infant deaths

The new effort aims to build community power, map local ecosystems, and provide equity training to reduce significant disparities in infant mortality.

A new state program is providing an opportunity to reframe the mindset of parents of young children with disabilities. (Canva)
New training supports children with developmental disabilities

A new statewide program, Paving the Way to Self Determination, has been developed to raise the expectations families have for their children with developmental disabilities.

Lucia Rios at work
5 reasons why employers should hire more people with disabilities

The unemployment rate for working-age persons with disabilities is at least twice that of those without disabilities. Let’s fix that.

Stacy Stout, director of equity and engagement for the city of Grand Rapids.
Nearly 20 Michigan communities have declared racism a public health crisis. What happens next?

Here's a look at the actions three Michigan communities have taken since passing declarations that racism is a public health crisis.

Jon Cauchi uses humor to raise awareness about living with a disaiblity. In this photo, Jon Cauchi is wearing a short sleeve light blue shirt. He is standing, holding his two thumbs up and smiling.
Jon Cauchi’s stand-up comedy shares humor of his experiences as a person with a vision impairment

Jon Cauchi, who became blind at age 12, performs a comedy routine called “The Real and Funny Side of Having a Disability” that brought down the house during Laughfest in March 2020.

Encontrando la Paz Durante la Guerra

En una ciudad del tamaño de Kalamazoo, con 76.000 habitantes, la violencia con armas de fuego ha alcanzado cifras históricas con números todavía lo suficientemente pequeños como para sentirse como algo personal: 13 personas fueron asesinadas a tiros en 2020 y 2021, respectivamente, frente a cuatro en 2018 y siete en 2019. Los asaltos con arma de fuego se duplicaron, pasando de 211 en 2018 a 401 en 2021; ya hubo más de 92 hasta abril de este año. Los funcionarios públicos están alertando para solucionar rápidamente un problema que lleva décadas gestándose.

D&HHS Board President Rowan O’Dougherty speaks at the organization's capital campaign launch.
7 ways Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services pivoted during the pandemic

Responding to clients who were frustrated about missing out on critical COVID-19 information, staff at Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services in Grand Rapids made changes to better serve them. 

Activities planned in Battle Creek to recognize Dorothy McClendon Day 2022

Dorothy McClendon, who passed away in 2020, was a tireless advocate for racial justice, equity, and healing. For the second year in a row,  The Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation is hosting several community activities in recognition of her life and legacy.

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