![]() ![]() Wiley’s account alone is enough proof of the significant mind shift that is needed to create a more inclusive environment. She says that even though we claim that we want the best of the best in local government, sometimes the best candidates are not willing to take the potential ridicule that comes paired with their disabilities or other differences being put on public display. Wiley has even found herself feeling the need to take a step back from the public eye for her own well-being. Although there were other comments to counteract the negative ones, they are still hurtful and hearing that type of negativity never gets easy. When Erie announced Wiley as the new deputy town administrator, more comments seemed to be directed at her headshot rather than her diverse array of qualifications that followed. After a childhood dog attack left her face permanently disfigured, Wiley finds that the more visibility she gains, the more hurtful comments come her way. In the case of panel member Melissa Wiley, deputy town administrator of Erie, Colorado, she is much more familiar with the hurtful comments and assumptions that come along with living with disabilities while being in the public eye. While Boyton feels that his performance expectations are no different in comparison to other local government leaders, he is definitely more compassionate and mindful of accessibility and inclusivity issues in his community. Panel member Michael Boyton, town manager of Medway, Massachusetts, lives with a physical disability that requires him to walk with a cane. Providing PerspectiveĬonsidering issues of community accessibility may be a hypothetical discussion for many local government leaders, but such topics are much more tangible for these panel members. The latest in ICMA’s Courageous Conversations series features candid conversation about the challenges faced and mind shift needed to become a truly inclusive organization and community, as well as being mindful of opportunities to increase accessibility for all. To put some of these issues into perspective, ICMA gathered a diverse panel of local government leaders who are living with disabilities and leveraging their roles to foster inclusivity in the communities they serve. We hope you will join us for this transformative experience, combining praxis and practice as we collectively fortify our knowledge, skill, will and capacity to transform schools, communities, systems and organizations into racially equitable, social just environments that nurture the infinite potential of all people.Creating a truly inclusive community takes better understanding and addressing of the issues surrounding disability, accessibility, and the “stigma” surrounding mental health. Our audience will include 1,000 change agents including policy makers, business and government leaders, school system administrators and teachers, higher education faculty and administration, community leaders, families, and students. On November 4-8, 2023, the National Summit for Courageous Conversation® (NSCC) will convene leaders from across the nation and around the globe to examine, embrace, and celebrate racial equity and social justice. A truth, that is again, criminalized and silenced by those who find comfort in the grisly reality it has wrought. ![]() This clause, seminal to the context of its establishment, obscures the nation’s truth on race, then and now. “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary….to dissolve the bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the Earth, the equal station to which Nature and God entitle them….requires that they should declare the causes which impel them….” ![]()
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