Inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and anti-racism were among the themes explored and celebrated by UTS staff and students at last week’s Inclusion Festival. Below, we highlight a range of the workshops, talks and activities featured at this week-long event from the Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion.
Removing structural barriers
The week’s opening event, Cultivating an anti-racist campus culture, explored structural racism in universities, with Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman asking: “Structurally, are universities letting everyone in?” Universities have long been accessible to those with power and privilege, but can force others to suppress important parts of themselves to fit into these systems. Empowering the marginalised by listening to their stories and having a shared responsibility for structural change were among the key takeaways from a thought-provoking panel discussion.
We all have a part to play in fostering inclusion. By approaching this with honesty and a willingness to listen, we can build a community where everyone thrives.
Giridharan Sivarama
Building welcoming environments
The workshop Creating welcoming environments for students at first-year inductions explored strategies, challenges and resources for facilitating student connectedness. Key strategies included peer mentoring, creating social opportunities outside of class and ensuring resources are inclusive and accessible.
Using correct pronouns are also an important way to connect to students and give them a sense of belonging. This important part of someone’s identity isn’t always visible or known until you ask. Welcoming volunteers offered informative reading material and cute merchandise at a pop-up Pronouns Clinic during the festival.
Change through creativity
Creating art to communicate important messages can be impactful. This was on show in the bold portraits revealing deeper stories at the We are Blacktown exhibition and a screening of the 2017 documentary Defiant Lives, which exposes the inaccessibility of our work and social spaces.
At the Pacific artists on activism event, three Pasifika artists whose work challenges and disrupts colonialist structures engaged in a talanoa (discussion) about their artistry and activism. These influential creatives use their art to disrupt the norms (i.e. what could be generalised as an ‘ideal migrant’), and continue their fight for peace and freedom for their community.
1 
2 
3
Assistance via AI and animals
Students and teachers with low vision can be supported by digital technology such as screenreaders. A workshop on Assistive Technology revealed how GenAI is improving the user experience for vision impaired people, as shown in the Danish AI tool Be My Eyes. It was noted that these tools need to be used mindfully as AI can miss important contextual clues.
Also important for people with vision impairment are inclusive facilities such as toileting areas for assistance animals. An Assistance animal toileting area launch highlighted the barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing higher education and the role of the built environment in addressing this issue.
One size doesn’t fit all
Fashion is all about what’s ‘in’ – but what if you don’t feel included in the current trend? At a Fashioning inclusion panel, the conversation centered around the importance of inclusivity in the fashion industry. Speakers emphasised the need for designers to learn from decentralised fashion practices and embrace diverse cultures and perspectives.
The difference between equity and equality was a key part of Perceptions of belonging, where data visualisations showed patterns in diversity such as gender imbalances across faculties. The need to go deeper into the people behind the data was addressed at the event Supporting academic women to succeed. It offered examples from across UTS faculties of processes to address structural barriers, e.g. allowing for more flexibility, mentoring opportunities and leadership support.
Inclusion, continued…
This summary will be followed up with more in-depth stories inspired by the events on the LX Blog and CSJI news page in the coming weeks. If you attended an event during the Inclusion Festival and got inspired or learned something new, post in the comments below!
Feature image by Anna Hay