“INCLUSION involves more than being kind and making people feel welcome. True inclusion weaves people into the fabric of community by having their experiences and lives become a part of the narrative of the community and celebrating the sacred moments of their lives.”
(from ‘Mishkan Ga’avah’ Edited by Rabbi Denise L. Eger, Central Conference of American Rabbis)
Footsteps is committed to treat all members and those who are involved in our activities and events with equity and fairness. Footsteps is committed to ensure, monitor, encourage, and enable a full diversity of members and of those who attend and take part in our activities and events to be meaningfully included in our work in line with the Equality Act 2010.
According to the Equality Act 2010, the following human characteristics are protected against discrimination, and accordingly, they will be pro-actively included as members and as those who attend and take part in our events:
- Age
- Disability (including Neurodivergence and Chronic Mental Health Conditions)
- Gender Reassignment
- Marriage and Civil Partnership
- Pregnancy and Maternity
- Race
- Religion or Belief
- Sex
- Sexual Orientation
No-one will be discriminated against, treated inequitably, or excluded from taking part in our planning, events, or activities due to one of these.
Age includes actual age, perceived age, or association with an age group.
Disability includes physical or mental impairments that have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities; either diagnosed or undiagnosed.
Gender Reassignment includes those who are or have undergone a process for reassigning their sex, and those who choose not to, but identify as a gender not assigned at birth.
Marriage and Civil Partnership does not include those who are engaged, those divorced or with the partnership dissolved, those living as a couple, or those who are widowed.
Pregnancy and Maternity includes those pregnant now, in the past, giving birth, or breast-feeding, and lasts to the end of maternity leave or going back to work (if this is earlier).
Race includes colour, nationality, national origin, ethnic origin (shared history and cultural origin, including language, religion, literature, geographical region, being part of an oppressed group, being a minority). And includes parents, children, partners and friends.
Religion or Belief includes organised religions, personal religious beliefs, and philosophical beliefs. Includes no religion at all, and atheism.
Sex includes all ages.
Sexual Orientation includes same sex, opposite sex, either sex, actual or perceived.
In all protected characteristics, discrimination based on perception of who a person is or who a person is associated with is not allowed.
In all cases, Footsteps will make reasonable adjustments so that people with the protected characteristics can be encouraged and included in a meaningful way as members and as those who attend and take part in our activities and events.
We will take steps to be aware of unconscious bias when setting up events and meetings.
In order to be able to be inclusive and to make reasonable adjustments, we will undertake risk assessments before planning an event.
We will try to avoid stereotyping.
We will use gender non-specific words like ‘they’ in advertising.
We value a diverse group of volunteers and steering group members and diverse people attending and taking part in our activities and events.
Events will be planned to design in equity, diversity, equity, and inclusion. And they will be monitored so we can improve our reach and performance in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Appendices:
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