Reflecting Together
Conversation can be powerful in helping with education and empathy in diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI). If you’re looking for a place to start in your organization, gathering a group of diverse voices together for a conversation is a great first step. We thought it was an important step in our DEAI journey to reflect on the ideas presented in the series. We gathered a group of our colleagues, including designers, planners, and accountants; they are also people of color, people from the LGBTQ+ community, and people with neurodiversity.
One of the overall takeaways from the group conversation was identifying blind spots. A blind spot means looking at something from one point of view without considering or realizing another point of view. As Hui, the author of the opening letter and Director of Asian Projects, said, “Our life experiences, culture, and backgrounds lead us to believe the world looks a certain way. It’s normal to have blind spots.” Unfortunately, those blind spots can leave us believing everyone experiences the world the same way.
Learning to recognize blind spots can help us be more inclusive. To do this, look at internal beliefs and structures—personally and organizationally. It’s easy to say, “I’m not racist” or “I know I’m inclusive,” but a hard look might reveal one of those blind spots. Consider taking an online quiz like Project Implicit from Harvard University that helps identify implicit bias. Ask for feedback—from your employees and guests—and be willing to make changes according to what you hear.
Our colleagues gave examples of choosing where to travel based on safety concerns. Melissa, an accountant, mentioned that her husband, a person of color, does not feel safe everywhere. She said, “We avoid small towns where my husband doesn’t feel welcome because of the history.” Erin, a graphic designer, said, “When I travel with my friends, we research our destination to make sure it is safe and welcoming to everyone in our group, many of whom are queer. There are places along the way we won’t stop out of fear. There are places we feel we need to avoid along the way. It’s not just about the destination. It’s also about the community near the destination.” Hui replied, “I don’t feel like I’ve faced discrimination when I’ve traveled, so it is shocking to me to realize there are still websites pointing out safe places. How does this still exist? That’s one of my blind spots.”
Marie, manager of optimizing mojo, said, “My biggest surprise, something I’ve never thought of, was people feeling unsafe outdoors. That blows my mind. I think of the outdoors and nature as peaceful, safe, and comforting. It was eye-opening to realize that many people don’t feel that way.”
Black People Who Hike is an organization that works to empower, educate, and reengage black people to the outdoors. Image Credit: Black People Who Hike
Cristen, a project manager, followed up with a reflection on the Green Book and its origins, saying, “Just knowing the history and reasons why the Green Book was published in the first-place leaves an unspoken or innate impression that still impacts how Black people and other communities of color travel today.” When talking about outdoors and nature travel experiences specifically, Cristen also said, “Historically ‘the outdoors’ was a place of fear through which many enslaved people traveled to escape slavery. It’s something I think about and may come to mind for Black people when considering outdoor experiences.” Cristen continued, “A former classmate of mine from SIUE, Debbie Njai, is now an entrepreneur and recently launched Black People Who Hike. The organization’s mission is to empower, educate, and reengage black people to the outdoors through wellness campaigns, health advocacy, and community-based activities including hiking, camping, kayaking, rock climbing, and yoga.”
The articles “Inclusion by Design” and “Power in Person” sparked the most conversation. Dave, a creative designer, said, “I feel all designers should read these articles. There’s a disparity in the entire attractions industry. Including diverse voices when designing experiences you may not be familiar with is the right thing to do, but it’s also been a hole in the industry. Our industry should strive to include a diversity of people deeply and meaningfully throughout the design process.”
The group also spoke about storytelling and the importance of hearing from people who experienced things themselves. They talked about honesty and truth in storytelling, about embracing the negative pieces, and acknowledging that it should not be “sugar coated.” Honest and authentic storytelling provides opportunities to educate, grow, and avoid the same mistakes. Joyce, a benefits specialist, said, “When I travel, I want to hear the story from someone who lived it. I want to hear from the people there who know what happened. You must tell your story.” And Tally, a content researcher, said, “I know that while I’m not responsible for the crimes of my ancestors, I need to acknowledge those crimes occurred. History can be painful and hard, and I need to learn about it so I can learn from it.”
PGAV has a dedicated and talented group of people designing beautiful, interactive, immersive, thrilling, and memorable attractions; we know that integrating the concepts of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are integral to creating attractions that foster a sense of belonging—and fun. We hope this series gave you a few action items, and we hope it opens pathways to your conversations on DEAI.
Note: Throughout this series, we will follow the AP Style Book and use the term people of color when referring to people of any race other than non-Hispanic white. We sincerely apologize in advance if this choice creates discomfort, and we welcome any reader to contact us and continue the discussion.
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