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Expanding Access Quarterly Office of Access, Inclusion, and Compliance, Division of Extension

Spring 2021

Checking in following the Chauvin trial verdict

by Dominic J. Ledesma

On April 20, a jury found former Minneapolis police offer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd on May 25 of last year. Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges that were brought against him by the State of Minnesota.

Unfortunately, Floyd’s murder has been preceded and succeeded by similar tragedies, including Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo and many other lives, too many to list here.

I have been reflecting a lot over the past few days on the concept and meaning of justice. This, of course, has been in connection to following the Chauvin trial. It has also been, however, in observation of the ongoing tensions in society that have stemmed from the tragic and avoidable loss of Black and Brown lives during encounters with law enforcement officers. But as a prosecuting attorney, Steve Schleicher, stated during the trial’s closing argument: “This case is called the State of Minnesota vs. Derek Chauvin. This case is not called the State of Minnesota vs. the police.” This statement, among others in my view, reminded us of the imperative to seek justice for tragic loss of lives like Floyd’s. What is more, I think it also speaks to one of the ways our society needs to do better.

From my perspective, what the Chauvin trial verdict represented was an overdue measure of accountability. In my view, the accountability that was sought through this trial was reflected by the many ways in which accountability has often been absent, lacking, or disparately applied. This includes the justice system but extends to multiple systems in U.S. society that have been found to produce—and reproduce—inequitable effects on Black, Indigenous, and other Communities of Color. It is the disparate application and impact of equity that enables broader forms of injustice to exist.

Like many discussions currently taking place, people are asking “where do we go from here?” To situate this question in Extension, it is important to revisit this question from the vantage point of “where have we come in a year?” Here are a few a few reflections.

The Talking & Reflection Circle we held a week after Floyd’s murder was a testament to the fact that issues of equity, justice, and equality matter to Extension professionals and are imperative for our work. Similarly, in Dean Martin’s response to George Floyd’s murder unequivocally stated, “Through our work and actions across Wisconsin we will continue to strive for a society that is free of racism, bigotry, and bias. We are committed to working with community members and leaders to improve our efforts across the state. Strengthening collaborations between Extension and our community partners includes efforts that reduce trust gaps and improve relations between law enforcement and Wisconsin communities.” Facilitating community conversations with local law enforcement agencies in at least three different counties are a few examples of how our Extension professionals have been engaged in this work. Additionally, Institute Directors have provided leadership to create new professional learning opportunities for their staff around issues of race and equity. Finally, last year our Division implemented a Call to Action which not only reiterated our commitment to becoming a more inclusive and anti-racist organization, but put in place nine specific initiatives that would help us demonstrate and advance our efforts in key areas.

Within less than a year, we have made significant strides as a Division. We are engaging in more conversations and opportunities to learn with and from one another. These opportunities have helped us grow and evolve together. In a very short period, I would argue that we have elevated our collective expectation to know better, do better, and become better.

There is a need for continued healing and a need to be continually engaged in anti-racism work in all forms. Thus, we will continue to promote notions of equity and inclusion across our work and state, and we will continue to center issues that impact our employees, our families, and our society.

Getting to know OAIC's newest team member: Kim Waldman, Compliance Coordinator & Equity Strategist

When people hear the word “compliance” they often have one of the following physiological reactions: stress, fear, or an eye roll accompanied by a slight groan. With these responses, you may be wondering why someone would choose a career in compliance. Here’s a brief story that may be illustrative:

Picture a young schoolgirl in Northcentral Wisconsin. Every year, as the days grow shorter and colder, the anticipation for Christmas is palpable throughout her school – from the tinseled tree in the office to the holiday cookies at the bake sale. However, this season of joy is anything but for the little girl. This is the time of year when her “otherness” comes into stark focus. This is when she sits alone in a separate room while her classmates practice carols for concerts and work on Santa art projects. Or alternatively, this is when she is asked to explain to the class why she is different and doesn’t celebrate Christmas.

Through my adult eyes, I see the teacher’s intent was cultural awareness. But for the little girl, it was a harsh spotlight that failed to consider the immediate impact to me or have any sense of the broader “othering” that was perpetuated through these and other practices. Ironically, even with the spotlight, I often felt invisible – like my needs either weren’t seen or didn’t matter.

As a child whose family members had survived physical, emotional and economic assault for their religion and culture – and as a member of a community where many had not survived at all – I felt ashamed for the pain I felt at these seemingly small slights. As a person who witnessed friends suffer more severe and ubiquitous harm for the color of their skin, I felt that my solidarity was inadequate because I had the option to hide or voluntarily reveal my minority status. Most of all, I felt a deep obligation to my immigrant ancestors, who sacrificed everything so that I could have the privilege to be different, to adhere to the fundamental teachings they passed down – namely, the pursuit of social justice.

Suffice it to say that through my school years, I had many interesting encounters with teachers, music directors, administrators (and even friends) trying to help them understand how some of the school district’s policies and practices further marginalized students – whether overtly or as a result of making them feel the invisibility I often felt. Too many times, they just didn’t get it. My teenage daughter laughs with embarrassment when I tell her that my senior year ended with one last attempt to explain – via a Star-Trek-themed graduation speech. I enlisted the band to play “The Next Generation” theme song at the appointed time and ended the speech with a Vulcan salute to the packed bleachers, along with Spock’s accompanying phrase to “live long and prosper”. Beyond the laughs at her dorky mom, I hope she understands what I was trying to convey and what Star Trek represented to me in terms of diversity and social justice.

As I write this, I’m struck by how my conversations with colleagues at Extension in these initial weeks have often echoed the values and vision that drew me to Star Trek – there’s the focus on research and discovery, pride in the mission to transform the lives of others, certainly the phrase nEXT Generation has come up (😊), but most salient to my new role have been discussions about successes and challenges in ongoing efforts to expand access and equity. The conversations haven’t been about fear or stress, or compliance as a dichotomous measure of perfection versus failure. Rather, they’ve been about our responsibility to keep moving the needle in the direction of progress and devising strategies to that end.

To be sure, as a recipient of federal funds, Extension has nondiscrimination requirements that must be met. As a public institution whose mission is to serve our communities, there is also a moral and ethical imperative to ensure that our policies and practices don’t perpetuate the marginalization of communities. And on an individual level, we are all responsible to actively pursue efforts to expand access, inclusivity and equity. Yet, there is untold space between perfection and failure. And as a collegial, educational institution, my view is that the best way to pursue compliance and beyond is through partnership, learning and cooperative problem solving.

Now that you’ve indulged me with this long story of a seminal experience in my life that makes me passionate about civil rights compliance, I look forward to hearing your stories – about the transformative work you do and how OAIC can work with you to continue expanding access to the essential services you provide. Let me end with a foundational teaching passed down from generation to generation in my culture – sage advice I return to when a task is large, when I’m not sure how to proceed, or I’m struggling to identify what success looks like: “You are not obliged to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

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employee spotlight

Employee Spotlight: Eva Terry

Job title: 4-H Program Coordinator Milwaukee County

Where do you live? Milwaukee, WI

Where did you grow up? Milwaukee, WI

How many years have you been in Extension? Ten years ago, I started as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Extension focused on building capacity of 4-H STEM programming in Milwaukee County. After two years in that role, I became the 4-H STEM Coordinator for six years and now I am the 4-H Program Coordinator.

Tell us a little about your role in Extension: Milwaukee County 4-H has two main components that I coordinate, 4-H Community Clubs and 4-H School Clubs/Programs. We currently have four community clubs that meet around the county and are led by passionate and committed volunteers.

Our largest 4-H school-based program is 4-H SySTEMatics which is focused on STEM and college prep for 7th and 8th grade students. The program provides hands-on science experiments, a visit to a college campus, and a science fair. The experiments taught in the program are pulled from 4-H curriculum books and cover a wide range of areas such as chemistry, DNA extraction, botany, archeology, geology, and physics. In addition, there are college and career prep activities to help the youth begin to plan for post-secondary education options.

For 4-H to be viewed as a valuable resource in Milwaukee, effort needs to go towards relationship building and partnership within communities of color. I consider expanding access to be embedded in all that I strive to do in this role.

What motivates you in your position? The youth that I get to work with and the people I meet out in the communities of Milwaukee are great motivators for me. I feel a great responsibility to provide quality opportunities for youth, especially for those that have historically not had access to 4-H programming. Milwaukee is a large and populous county and it can feel overwhelming at times. Yet, when I see youth excited about learning and discovering new things, I feel energized.

One unique or surprising fact about yourself: My family and I really enjoy West African food and we make day trips to the Chicago area to get it. We have even driven there during the pandemic just to pick-up food to take back home! In general, most things I do revolve around eating good food.

Update from the African American Employee Resource Group (AAERG)

The African American Employee Resource Group (AAERG) kicked off its membership recruitment in December 2020 and hosted its first General Body meeting in January 2021. Currently, AAERG has 25 active members and allies, with 100% of the membership signed on to declare Racism as a Public Health Crisis and is actively involved in one of the four AAERG committees: Marketing and Communication, Professional Development, Recruitment and Retention, and Membership and Events.

The mission of AAERG is to advance the development of African American/Black employees as future national leaders in Extension by supporting an inclusive work environment through networking, education, and events that promote awareness. The group is actively planning, strategizing, and implementing initiatives to engage colleagues in meaningful discussions about issues that impact colleagues of color and their ability to thrive at work and in the community.

This year AAERG introduced Black Voices Matter during Black History Month, a weekly discussion open to the public with invited scholars, leaders, and advocates from all over the country focused on topics such as microaggression, mass incarceration, LGBTQ experience in the workplace, and health disparities. We had nearly 250 participants registered, with an average of 60 participants tuned in each week. We have collected feedback from more than 25% of the participants who shared their reflections related to the impact of the Black Voices Matter experience, suggestions for future discussions, and feedback about the quality of content. Some quotes that were shared included:

When participants were asked how they would use the presentation content in their work, they shared:

If you are still interested in joining AAERG, it’s not too late. Please visit our Sharepoint Site and sign up. Also, please join us as we continue to introduce you to scholars, leaders, and community advocates during our monthly WISDOM WEDNESDAY series.

Our Next Wisdom Wednesday Virtual Session:

  • Date: May 12, 2021, @ Noon (Bring your lunch)
  • Speaker: Will Latif Little, Philadelphia Native, Life Coach, and Motivational Speaker
  • Topic: Emotional Intelligence During a Time of Crisis

This discussion will explore how we become the best versions of ourselves when we truly understand our human system and human connection. Our mind, feelings, emotions and actions create the sum total of who we are and how we navigate through life especially during a time of crisis. This session will help you to explore the tools to living your best life.

Focus on accessibility: Anatomy of a disability accommodation

by Heather Stelljes, Division of Extension Access Consultant

In February, Ozaukee County 4-H prepared to start its Dog Project at the Ozaukee County Fair Grounds. The building was reserved, and youth started signing up, including a youth that uses a wheelchair. While the building itself was wheelchair accessible, there were concerns about the gravel floor on which the training was to occur. What followed was a formal disability accommodation in practice. 4-H Program Educator Jayna Hintz and Access Consultant Heather Stelljes reflect on the process.

How did the accommodation request get started?

Heather: The parent contacted Jayna, and then Jayna reached out to me. The original question was how to determine if the location for the Dog Project was ADA-compliant, as the parent was asking for the project to take place in a location with all concrete or hard floors. (While there is an established online process for requesting accommodations, it’s far more common for participants to reach out directly to the Extension employee and ask for an accommodation to a program or event.)

Jayna: When the family enrolled, I checked the family’s profile (including accommodations) in 4-H Online and then notified Jason Heller, the volunteer Dog Project leader, that the youth had joined the project. Jason immediately expressed concern about the space, as he had worked with the youth in the past.

The Dog Project meeting space is the enclosed and heated show arena at the fairgrounds. A soccer group normally uses the arena at this time of year and lays down turf. In the past, the turf smoothed out the dirt floors enough for the youth to be able navigate her wheelchair. However, due to COVID restrictions, the soccer team was not practicing in the arena so there was no turf. Jason was planning to use mats instead, but without turf, he was concerned the mats would not work with a wheelchair. He then inquired about reasonable accommodations.

I immediately reached out to the parent with the Jason’s concern. She asked if I could find out if another building at the fairgrounds would offer a concrete or hard floor. That’s when I reached out to Heather, as I knew to contact her from my onboarding sessions in 2019 and had connected previously with her regarding other questions.

What happened next?

Heather: My initial thought was to learn more about the youth’s strength and skill in maneuvering the wheelchair as well as the type of wheelchair in determining accessibility. My second thought was about the actual space and ground/floor. Brilliantly, Jayna sent a picture of the indoor area in her original email, which provided a lot of information about the space.

I then looked more closely at ADA regulations and standards and confirmed my understanding with a colleague at UW-Madison. Top Tantivivat is the Facilities Access Specialist for the Division of Facilities Planning and Management. Top confirmed that gravel or dirt surfaces rarely offer a clear-cut answer on what is accessible. In asking him about using mats versus something like plywood, Top shared that plywood would likely be better, given stability and strength. Top also reminded me that the thickness would be a factor, so there wouldn’t be much of a lip to go over.

I shared this information with Jayna and subsequently had a conversation with the family. That conversation was very helpful, and a key part of the interactive process outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. It became clear that a hard surface would be necessary, given the youth uses a manual wheelchair and that the ground was far too bumpy and would likely soften as spring approached.

Jayna: Prior to reaching out to Heather, I invited the parent and youth to meet with Jason and determine if the mats would work. I also reached out to the county to find out if a different space was available for the event. Additionally, I shared Jason’s contact information with Heather for direct communication, as he had more specific information about the space.

Once it was determined that an accommodation was necessary, it was most efficient to have the youth and family meet with Jason at the space to determine the most appropriate material to put down. They decided that plywood might be a little too thick. Jason researched some alternative options and landed on 3/16” hardboard being a solution. He also changed the layout of the space and calculated how much was necessary to order.

How was the actual accommodation implemented?

Heather:A solution was in place, but now we needed to purchase the materials and implement the accommodation! General guidance is that whoever is hosting an event should also be budgeting for accommodations. In this case, however, I knew that Jayna was working with both budget and time constraints. So, I connected with Dominic to explore what options might exist for this situation. He agreed to support the accommodation request out of OAIC’s operational budget. After we coordinated around this point, I worked with Kate Wodyn to purchase the materials from a store that was local to the area. The materials were then picked up by Jason.

Jayna: The hardest part for me was finding out how or who could help pay for the hardboard. The cost was around $200, and I knew the Dog Project group did not have the funds and they were concerned they might not be able to meet or they would need to delay.

Heather: So many clubs and programs are already doing so much with so little. It was the highlight of my day to share that OAIC would be able to cover the cost.

Reflections

What would the process have been like without a supportive volunteer?

Jayna: Jason is an outstanding volunteer, a great communicator, open to ideas and discussion, and really wanted to find a solution. This could have had a much different outcome without the work and thoughtfulness provided by Jason and the youth’s parent. Both worked together to create a positive experience for the youth.

Heather: To have somebody meet with the family and youth and check out the space and explore options made all the difference. It was also incredible that Jason took the initiative to find out where we could purchase the supplies. We would have been able to provide this accommodation without him, but it would have been very cumbersome, and much more time consuming.

Did anything about the accommodations process surprise you?

Jayna: How quickly everyone worked to find a solution. Everyone involved focused on a solution to accommodate and make the space wheelchair accessible. We focused on what we could do and did not create constraints.

Heather: One of the most interesting things about this request is that had another space been available, moving the location of the program may very well have been the recommended accommodation. Sometimes a change of venue is a reasonable request, and other times it is not. In this case, moving the venue would have been reasonable, but due to COVID and curling, no space was available, so we had to come up with a different accommodation.

This was the first time that I’ve worked with an accommodation that cost money outside of ASL interpreting. That accommodation has a long history of being covered by the Division of Extension as a whole; but the messaging for other accommodations is often to “budget for accommodations.” This accommodation request has allowed OAIC to develop a budget and funding request process. It affirmed the commitment the Division of Extension has to access and inclusion for people with disabilities.

Did you learn anything that would be helpful for others to know?

Jayna: Open communication was key. Being proactive and reaching out immediately to the youth’s parent with concerns about the event space and contacting Heather, our disability access consultant, made it possible for a solution to be found and implemented within 15 days. The youth joined 4-H on February 15 and started the dog training project on March 1.

Heather: Accommodations can take some time and effort but working together makes it relatively smooth and easy. It also confirmed that the formal process can look a variety of ways. Colleagues may reach out with a question, but it can lead to a formal accommodation being put into place. Additionally, it crystallized the important role volunteers play in the Division of Extension’s mission.

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, language(s), background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For inquiries related to this publication or if you would like to make a financial gift to support the OAIC’s work, please contact oaic@extension.wisc.edu.

Created By
Kate Wodyn
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Created with images by Wokandapix - "equity fairness equitable letters" • RitaE - "asian bleeding-heart bleeding heart flowers" • fsHH - "technology spotlight hamburg" • geralt - "inclusion group wheelchair"

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