The Florida Commission on Human Relations

1. The Florida Commissionon Human Relations Celebrating Differences since 1969

2. Our Mission • To prevent and eliminate unlawful discrimination by ensuring people in Florida are treated fairly and given equal access to opportunities in employment, housing, and public accommodations • To promote mutual respect among groups through education and partnerships • To become the chief resource on human relations for the state of Florida

3. Investigate and mediate discrimination Seek to ensure fair treatment and equal access to all Floridians Promote mutual inter-group understanding and respect Help people and communities resolve problems Provide training and education on rights and responsibilities Form partnerships with public and private entities in order to build inclusive communities Functions of FCHR

4. The Florida Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in education, employment, housing, and public accommodations based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, familial status or marital status.

5. Federal Laws • Title VII - Civil Rights Act of 1964 —prohibits employers with 15+ employees from discriminating against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion • ADA - protects qualified individuals with a disability; Title III contains expansive definition of public accommodation • ADEA - protects employees aged 40+ • Title II - guarantees access to and enjoyment of places of public accommodation • Title VIII – Federal Fair Housing Act —prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability

6. Cultural Competency By: Cornelius Brownlee & Shelley Linton

7. The Commission’s Diversity Training Objectives • To increase awareness of participants’ own biases and experiences of difference. • To promote mutual respect in a growing multicultural environment. • To facilitate dialogue among co-workers on the issues of difference, cultural sensitivity, and communication.

8. Ground Rules • All noise machines on vibrate • Respect one another at all times • Use “I” and “Me” instead of “Us” and “We” • Keep an open mind…remember the definitions • OUCH! and EDUCATE • No Politics! • What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas (well here too) • We will reserve a spot for you in the Parking Lot • Return from breaks on time please • Please leave ALL titles at the door • HAVE FUN!!!

9. Training Modules • Awareness Building • Cultural Sensitivity • Cultural Communication

11. Awareness Building • This Module Aims To: • Heighten participants’ knowledge of how personal experiences impact interaction with individuals from other groups

12. Diversity Concepts • Culture – A body of learned beliefs, traditions, principles and guides for behavior that are shared among members of a particular group • Bias – Prejudice • Prejudice – An attitude, opinion, or feeling formed without adequate prior knowledge, thought, or reason • Perception – a point of view • Stereotype - A positive or negative set of beliefs held by an individual about the characteristics of a certain group

13. Diversity Concepts (cont’d) • Cultural Awareness – recognizing and understanding the diversity of others • Inclusion – to welcome in or embrace as a part of a whole or as a group • Sensitivity – tactful and sympathetic in relation to the feelings of others • Tolerance – 1: recognition and respect of values, beliefs, and behaviors that differ from one’s own; 2: the act of putting up with something or somebody irritating or otherwise unpleasant • Respect - the act of giving a particular consideration or value

14. Stereotypes • A positive or negative set of beliefs held by an individual about the characteristics of a certain group • Unreliable, exaggerated generalizations about all members of a group that do not take individual differences into account • Denies complexity and diversity of that group

15. Sources of Stereotypes • Word of mouth: friends, family, others • Television • Movies • News media • Music • Textbooks • Toys • Scientific research • Mental Tape Recordings

16. The Power of Perception!

17. How was your Date?

18. Iceberg Analogy

19. CULTURAL SENSITIVITY Module: 2

20. Cultural Sensitivity • This Module Aims To: • Encourage participants to consider another person’s point of view.

21. Barriers to Understanding Others • Language • Personal Experiences • Culture: family traditions, customs, practices, etc. • Cultural Greetings • Social “Norms” • Lack of Dialogue • Fear • Any Others???

22. Perceptions • Is there a difference between the public’s perception and your own? • What has created or perpetuated these perceptions? • What can change these perceptions?

23. Privilege Walk

24. Tips on Interacting with Individuals with Disabilities • Ask before you help. • Don’t assume! • Be sensitive about physical contact. • Wheelchairs, canes, scooters are part of one’s personal space. • Think before you speak. • Speak to the individual, not his companion, aide, or interpreter. • Respond graciously to requests

25. Terminology Tips • Put the person first. • Person with a disability, person with MS • Equipment enables individuals to get around. Wheelchairs are liberating, not confining. • Wheelchair user, not confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair bound • Avoid negative, disempowering words like “victim” or “sufferer”. • Person with AIDS, not AIDS victim

26. Hidden Disabilities • Not all disabilities are apparent. • Someone may make a request or act in a manner that seems strange. It may be disability-related. • Developmental disabilities • Learning disabilities • Psychiatric disabilities • Internal illnesses or disorders • Side-effects from medication • Respect the person’s needs and requests whenever possible. • Even when disabilities are hidden, they are real.

27. CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONModule: 3

28. Cultural Communication • This Module Aims To: • Promote awareness of how misunderstandings can occur during cross-cultural communication; • Place emphasis on the importance of clear verbal, non-verbal, and written communication; and • Highlight relevant guidelines for avoiding offensive and insensitive communication mistakes.

29. Micro-messages • "Everything sends a message.”– Stephen Young • Small, subtle sometimes unspoken, often unconscious messages we routinely send and receive that have a powerful impact on our interactions with others • Between 40 and 120 micro-messages sent in a routine 10 minute conversation between two people • Looks, gestures, inflections, nuance • Micro messages may reveal how we feel towards someone

30. Micro-inequities • “..those subtle actions that discount certain people and create an unjust work environment.” – Mary Rowe, 1973 • “When these micro-messages take the form of micro-inequities, they can take various forms, some less obvious than others. They may include behaviors that communicate a lower level of expectation in performance or exclusion from company meetings or discussions” – Stephen Young

31. Micro-inequities: • Devalue, discourage and ultimately impair workplace performance at all levels • Damage goals and undermine self-confidence; eventually see withdrawal from co-workers in office

32. Positive Micro-messages • Can spark creativity, leadership, and performance • Can motivate employees to excel and commit to company • Can reverse the effects of long-standing micro-inequities

33. Communication • When people are under stress, they are more apt to inject communication barriers into their conversation. • Barriers can exist in: • Verbal communication • Nonverbal communication • Written communication

34. Written Communication Internet • Email Netiquette • Memos • Punctuation • Smilies 

35. Written Communication Letters/Flyers • Is this what your company represents?

36. Written Communication Text Messaging • What kind of messages are you sending?

37. Nonverbal Communication • Flashing or rolling eyes • Quick or slow movements • Arms crossed, legs crossed • Shrugging of shoulders • Gestures made with exasperation • Slouching, hunching over • Doodling • Staring at people or avoiding eye contact • Excessive fidgeting with materials • Yawning

38. What Not to Say

39. Course Wrap-up

40. Diversity Checklist • Is your organization’s commitment to diversity reflected within the organization’s core values? • Is your organization’s diversity the unintended consequence of shifting demographics? • Does management reflect the values of your organization and the individuals who make it up? • Is your organization’s commitment to diversity reflected in its budget as well as its demographics?

41. Diversity Checklist(cont’d) • Can you have an open dialogue about diversity issues in your workplace? If so, how? If not, why? • Do employees trust management and each other enough to communicate these issues? • Do employees advocate for each other and understand the value in advocacy? • What is the largest diversity concern in your workplace?

42. The Benefits • Understanding experiences of members of various cultural groups • Understanding barriers to communication across cultures • Applying knowledge to everyday practices is what builds cultural competence • Can be used to train and motivate employees, develop skills and leadership, and mark your organization as an employer of choice • Respect. Reliability. Retention.

43. Action Planning “START” “STOP” “CONTINUE” • National Multicultural Institute

44. 2009 Apalachee Parkway Suite 200, Oakland Building Tallahassee, FL 32301 Phone : 850-488-7082 Toll Free: 1-800-342-8170 Fax: 850-488-5291 Web: http://fchr.state.fl.us