Diversity and including consumers

Consumer diversity

The strongest and most effective groups include many kinds of people who represent those who live in the community. These include people of race, gender, age, amount and source of income, political affiliation, religious background, and disability status, to name a few. Consumers are at the heart of the work you do. Additionally, many people you interact with may not know about independent living philosophy and services, so you may need to explain what “nothing about us without us” means.

Include people with disabilities

Many communities have people with disabilities who are engaged and well-known in the community. You may have identified these individuals during your outreach or you may need to network with local service providers to identify them. By having people with disabilities present in group discussions, they can tell their success stories of living in the rural community and highlight things that have worked well. Be sure to think about ways you can support this.