Promising Directions for a New Inclusive Economy
Talking Circle led the Communications and Engagement Strategy for inclusion Powell River on the New Inclusive Economy.
The public engagement phase of this project was launched at the Surrey Arts Centre and cumulated in Powell River, BC. Geared towards the business community in BC, each event featured the stories of business owners, employees and people living with the experience of disabilities in every engagement session. The team contracted local, community-based social enterprises for event supplies and services (live ASL translation, audio-video recording and hybrid engagement, meals/catering) and ensured non-monetary supports for different learning abilities were provided for reducing barriers to participation.
This multi-year BC Sector Labour Market Partnership program is investigating inclusive employment from the employer (demand-side) recruitment and retention of people with disabilities. Jessica developed and implemented a strategic communications action plan over several phases. In the knowledge-translation phase, the research team brought together people with lived/living experience of disability, employees and employers with an inclusive employment story, and employers who aspire to be disability inclusive. The team completed province-wide hybrid engagement and brought in-person discussions to ten communities in all of economic regions of BC.
This novel approach to disseminating evidence-based recommendations will result in the identification of structural barriers and sharing effective approaches to increasing employer capacity to attract and retain employees with disabilities and other barriers to employment.
With thanks to Tanya Gadsby, founder of Fuselight Creative. for skilled graphic recording. Video recording of the Powell River Business-to-Business Roadshow by Diversa Collective, an initiative of inclusion Powell River with video production by three entrepreneurs living with disabilities. Additional video recordings and narrated graphic recordings of the New Inclusive Economy Promising Directions, available here: https://newinclusiveeconomy.ca/b2b-roadshow/