Inclusion strategy for building a virile organization, Nation

No society ever succeeds if it leaves a sizable population behind under whatever guise. An inclusive society is an intentional decision. An inclusive society is a society that overrides differences of race, gender, class, generation, and geography, and ensures inclusion, equality of opportunity as well as capability of all members of the society to determine an agreed set of social institutions that govern social interaction. To build an inclusive nation, focus on ensuring equal opportunities, promoting diversity and respect, and fostering community engagement and participation, while addressing systemic inequalities and supporting marginalized groups .To build an inclusive strategy, start with leadership commitment, implement diverse hiring practices, and foster a culture of inclusivity through training, communication, and employee resource groups, while also addressing unconscious bias and promoting equitable policies and practices. No leadership commitment to inclusion can be devoid of setting the right tone, having a clearer vision as well as integrating inclusivity in the culture and behaviour of the system. Today my guest is Mrs Treasures Uchegbe,, Treasures Uchegbu is a Sustainable Development Advocate, Disability-sign language Inclusion Champion with a committed passion for inclusivity, empowerment, and 100% value-added living. Treasures Uchegbu is the convener of the SpeakingFingers Network, a community that aims to build a network of trained and motivated citizens with technical expertise, leadership skills, and capacity for public enlightenment irrespective of their disabilities. In 2023, she and her team organized the Deaf Teens Summer Camp in Assured Hope Schools, Iyana Era, Ijanikin, Lagos State, Nigeria where Nigerian deaf teenagers were encouraged to pursue their dreams despite their disabilities. During this program, she emphasized the camp’s aim to bring together youths with hearing disabilities from various backgrounds to interact, learn new skills, and contribute to national development. Through her leadership, the participants enjoyed an atmosphere of inclusivity and growth, where deaf teenagers could explore their potential and express themselves creatively, showcasing the transformative capacity of empowerment and advocacy in the face of adversity. Let us dive straight to the conversation 1- Creating safe places for persons with disabilities to thrive is important in any society. Why has this been a challenge in Nigeria and Africa? 2-Your organization has been involved heavily in creating safe places for persons with hearing disabilities, can you share some of the learning curves organization and governments at various levels can learn from? 3- For inclusion to thrive, language, a means of communication, is very essential. Why has it been difficult for the Nigerian and African government to encourage use of multiple languages in our societies? Sign language is one. What will be your advice here? 4- One requirement to build an inclusive society is leadership commitment that drives vision and culture in a way that accelerates the process, where do you stand here and don’t you think this is missing? 5- Social integration, social inclusion programs are essential in building Inclusive society. Organizations like yours are championing these but with little or no support. What can government and corporate organizations do in promoting these? 6-For survival of everyone, a job is very important. This demands a necessity for workplace inclusivity. In many cases workplace inclusion is non-existent. How can corporate and public organizations create an inclusive workplace that can accommodate all? 7- We all know inclusion benefits all, but the gap of exclusion, segregation seem to be taking a longer time to close, what can be done? Listen to full episode below