AANE for Equity
AANE recognizes the deep inequities that continue to exist in our society, and we are committed to identifying and addressing the ways our organization can improve how we serve communities with underrepresented identities.
With the increased visibility of traumatic racial violence against communities of color, AANE undertook the critical work of examining the ways our organization has fallen short in meeting the needs of historically marginalized and underserved autistic communities. Creating staff positions, allocating resources, and engaging in organization-wide training, we strengthened our resolve to sustain constructive action to make diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just buzzwords, but an integral part of everything we do.
Our initial DEI Committee started with a handful of staff members in 2020, which has more than doubled since then. We recognized that a multi-faceted approach would further increase involvement and allow for a focused process to address multiple areas within our organization simultaneously. While maintaining the larger committee, we created three subcommittees, each with its own goals and initiatives. Click on the subcommittee names below to learn more about the action AANE is taking in each area.
Function: Provide meaningful professional development in the area of DEI for staff members, board members, facilitators, and advisory committee members.
Strategic priorities:
- Develop a yearly training schedule and provide responsive training as necessary
- Create a video library of DEI training materials
- Regularly survey staff, board, and committee members as well as group facilitators about training needs
Recent action:
- Professional development trainings:
- Implicit Bias Training – Individual and Organizational
- Microaggressions
- Autistic Culture and Gender Diversity
- Racism in Special Education: Acknowledging the Intersection
- AANE staff read and participated in a “Talk Back” with the authors of Did That Just Happen? Beyond Diversity- Creating Sustainable and Inclusive Organizations
- AANE staff members attended in the Autism in Black conference
- Created a year long professional development schedule
Upcoming professional development:
- Autism and race
Function: Support DEI initiatives in pre-established programming as well as inspire new programming initiatives that reflect the intersectional and diverse nature of AANE’s community.
Strategic priorities:
- Audit current programming to determine who we are serving and who we are not
- Develop a survey and encourage community input to understand areas of interest and need
- Identify where we have gaps in our programs & services and establish a plan for supporting underserved populations
Recent action:
- Began assessing data on current and past Individual and Family Services support group attendees to determine where to address specific needs
- Started working with internal departments to implement ways to gather information and feedback from groups
Function: To build meaningful relationships with individuals, organizations, and communities to improve how AANE serves underrepresented populations
Strategic priorities:
- Identify and reach out to potential partners
- Establish vision for a meaningful relationship and goals
Recent action:
- Communicated with several potential partners to understand the needs of the under-resourced communities they serve
- Met with a nonprofit organization that provides autism services to underserved communities in Boston, and currently exploring the potential for joint collaboration
Have a comment, question, or want to get involved? We want to hear from you! Email us at aaneforequity@aane.org.