Indiana Launches 31 Tips Initiative To Promote Diversity

Last updated on Monday, March 12, 2018

(INDIANAPOLIS) - The state agency charged with advocating for Hoosiers with disabilities is rolling out a new education initiative aimed at improving understanding and promoting inclusivity throughout Indiana.

The Governor's Council for People with Disabilities has created a list of 31 tips on disability to be delivered daily throughout the month of March. Tips will be published through Facebook and Twitter and will educate on ways to promote the equality and inclusion of all Hoosiers.

Some examples of the tips include:

Disability rights are civil rights. People with disabilities want and deserve the same things as everyone else.
Don't assume a person with a disability can't do something. Always ask first.
Don't judge. You can't always tell a person has a disability by looking. Not all disabilities are visible.
Talk to a person with a disability just as you would anyone else. Show people the respect they deserve.
Adults and children with disabilities represent nearly 19 percent of Indiana's population. Having a disability is much more common than people think.

"The 31 tips initiative is new this year to Disability Awareness Month, and we're excited to use it to help spread awareness and educate Hoosiers," said Christine Dahlberg, the Governor's Council executive director. "Publishing the tips on Facebook and Twitter will be a great way to get everyone involved, capitalizing on social media's ever growing influence."

The initiative will be utilized during March as part of Indiana Disability Awareness Month. The month is crucial for educating the public, promoting acceptance and ending stereotypes regarding disabilities.

While designed to serve as their own initiative, the 31 tips are also helping share the Disability Awareness Month theme: "Be Cool. We Are." This theme promotes the idea of treating others the way you would like to be treated, regardless of the differences between people. The campaign focuses on the importance of being comfortable in your own skin and making the conscious decision to be yourself, because acting differently around someone with a disability is not cool.

To get involved with the Governor's Council campaign and to help spread awareness, visit www.indianadisabilityawareness.org. To view each tip during March and to share them as they are released, visit www.facebook.com/GCPDIndiana or www.twitter.com/GCPDIndiana.

Media members and outlets that want to want to publish previews of the 31 tips can download examples here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y2bv0avbzw00ejo/AAAXmFSkmCOMX_6gtpJHVe0qa?dl=0

About Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities

The Indiana Governor's Council is an independent state agency that facilitates change. The Council's mission is to advance the independence, productivity and inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society. The Council is charged with promoting changes to the service delivery system so both the public and private sectors can be most responsive to people with disabilities. It also focuses on creating and implementing innovative programs that are visionary, influence public policy, empower individuals and families and advocate systems change. The Governor appoints board members of the Council and 60 percent must be people with disabilities or their family members.

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