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.

Roel Garcia is an adjunct professor at Grand Rapids Community College as well as an English as a second language instructor at Zeeland Adult Education.

How a teacher regained his independence after losing his sight

Roel Garcia shares how the loss of most of his sight in high school turned his world upside down before he figured out how to adapt to his disability. He graduated from college, became a journalist, and now is a teacher. 

Latest in Diversity & Equity
The conference will include four break-out sessions offering a choice among 15 different topics.
AAoM’s “Navigating Autism Today” provides wide range of educational and networking opportunities

The Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) will host its first “Navigating Autism Today Conference” of the year on Friday, March 8 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

Cause for trust: Kalamazoo’s League of Women Voters protecting democracy for everyone

"At the 2020 presidential election, I was observing the Kalamazoo County Board of Canvassers.... They spent an entire hour because there was a one-vote discrepancy in one of the precincts." When they figured out the discrepancy, "everybody broke out into applause."

MiGen staff and community in MiGen's office space/Senior Center at Affirmations.
Michigan’s first LGBTQ+ senior center is now open in Ferndale – and another one is coming to Detroit

The Senior Center at Affirmations expands programs and services for LGBTQ+ seniors in an accessible, welcoming environment.

The Grand Rapids location will expand AAoM’s  Upbound Staffing employment program.
Upbound Staffing creates inclusive connections for employers and job seekers

Upbound Staffing helps prepare job candidates living with autism for all parts of a career search and assists businesses in making their work environments more inclusive.

Por qué los preescolares con autismo se benefician de la educación temprana

Early Education Matters habló sobre este importante tema con Heather Eckner, directora de educación estatal de la Autism Alliance of Michigan (Alianza para el Autismo de Michigan, AAOM) y madre de dos niños autistas.

الأطفال في سن ما قبل المدرسة الذين يعيشون مع التوحد يستفيدون من التعليم المبكر بشكل كبير

تحدثت "تهم التعليم المبكر" عن هذا الموضوع المهم مع هيذر إيكنر، مديرة التعليم على مستوى الولاية في تحالف التوحد في ميشيغان (AAOM) وأم لطفلين يعيشان مع التوحد.

A wintery day when The Lakeshore Disability Inclusion Co-editor Lucia Rios had to roll her wheelchair in the road, because sidewalks hadn't been cleared of snow.
5 ways to support people with disabilities in the winter

Disability Inclusion Co-editor Lucia Rios suggests five ways people and organizations can help with accessibility during snowy, icy winters.

Donna and Gene Allgaier-Lamberti
What happens when disability rights run up against homeowner associations’ rules?

The Fair Housing Act ensures people with disabilities have the right to modify their residences even if they live in condos and other neighborhoods with homeowner association rules.

Representatives from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, IFF, KConnect, First Steps Kent, and Grand Rapids Public Schools were among those sharing at the event.
Un informe destaca la necesidad de una atención y educación más completas y equitativas en la primer

En el condado de Kent, estas barreras están perfectamente ilustradas por un informe publicado recientemente, Split by More Than the Grand River: Cómo la Desigualdad en el Acceso al Cuidado Infantil Asequible Divide el Condado de Kent. 

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