Seven Pillars of Inclusion Explained

Just like sports, people from different countries around the globe face drawbacks when getting involved in different activities. That’s where the pillars of inclusion come in.

To build a system that ensures full participation from everyone, we need to identify the requirements for particular subgroups and find ways to cater to them.

Who Invented The 7 Pillars Of Inclusion?

The pillars of diversity and inclusion were developed by the Inclusion Club, Play by the Rules, and Sport Australia. This model was designed to promote diversity and inclusion in sports. The pillars of diversity and inclusion are aimed at providing a view of inclusion using common elements to create a diverse and inclusive environment.

10 Proven Actions to Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, provides a digestible, practical blueprint to drive equity and inclusion.

What Are The 7 Pillars Of Inclusion?

While the 7 pillars of diversity and inclusion are a wide framework developed for sports and those with physical disabilities, it can be a powerful tool to address inclusion in the workplace.

1 Access: Again, like getting to the sports organization center, what experience do candidates get when interacting with your company for the first time? Inclusion at work could start from the application process, is the job description easy to read? Can each candidate easily apply for the job? Inclusion in the workplace is also more than the physical, it also about the feel of the work environment and culture put in place. Also when we talk about diversity at work, is there a quiet place for autist candidates? Are candidates with physical disabilities provided with safe equipment to enhance their work? It is important to find and brainstorm ways so every candidate can have similarly good work experience.

2 Attitude: Attitude is another big step to inclusion in the workplace. This is more about the organization’s (as well as the employees’) willingness to make a difference and promote diversity in the workplace by taking real action. Your positive feeling towards inclusion at work should be synced with your actions on making a change. Your attitude should be thinking outside the box to include everyone and so should your actions.

3 Choice: Does your organization promote diversity at work by ensuring that each individual has a choice? An example could be if an employee with a physical disability requires a special gadget to get their job done and the only available device is being used, the employee does not have another option to get their job done at that point. In the long run creating a bad working experience for such employees. Inclusion at work means creating accommodations for groups with specific requirements to have several choices

4 Partnership: Let’s skip the formal MOUs and contract for this, partnership as a way of promoting diversity in the workplace is really about connecting with people. This could be as informal as a handshake, a work culture that promotes community support and encourages employees to work together. When a new employee is brought on board, show them around and make them feel included. By doing this the organization surely builds diversity at work.

5 Communication: it is not just about what you say but how you say it. Clear communication is an essential part of inclusion in the workplace. Every employee also deserves a chance for their voice to be heard. Similarly, employees should feel safe voicing out to their teams, supervisors, and HR. Alternatively, your communication with your team should be good and clear. Inclusion and diversity in the workplace can start with analyzing how the communication at your company is.

6 Policy: Policies are rules that hold each member of an organization accountable and keep everyone in check. But inclusion at work is just about stating policies that say “Every employee is important”, it is more about ensuring these policies are followed. Are they policies in place to protect a subgroup of people as well as every employee against discrimination? Are they followed? Setting these laws in place makes your company inclusive, welcoming and encourages diversity at work.

7 Opportunity: While this may seem similar to choice, there is a difference. For instance, an employee can have the choice to take the stairs in times of emergency if the elevator is full, but an employee using a wheelchair also has the choice to use the stairs but may be forced to wait since the building is not wheelchair accessible. So the choice exists but there is no opportunity. Companies should make an effort to promote diversity in the workplace by ensuring every member of an organization get equal opportunity to participate and have a great working experience.

Remember it starts with you before anyone else. Use these seven pillars of inclusion to analyze your practices and that of your organization. An inclusive workplace is also a healthy one.

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