Tag: jackie

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Final Reflection, Jackie

Over the past 12 weeks, this class has helped me refine my writing skills, while also learning to think more critically and in depth about social issues.

In Unit 1, I was moved by the articles  we read of those who had experienced discrimination in the workplace based on their arbitrary traits. I found myself drawn to the article about individuals in the workplace who have disabilities. Having worked with children with special needs and my sister who is a severe and profound special education teacher, I connected the most with this article. This inspired my work in Unit 2, as I wanted to dive into this aspect surrounding the workplace as I am approaching the period in my life where I will be entering the workforce.

Instead of focusing on the general discrimination by people, I decided to focus on the built in discrimination against those who have a disability — the design of institutions. This became more difficult to research as the specifics of what I was looking for were harder to word. I had to filter out disability caused by the workplace, and find sources regarding resources that those with special needs require and if the workplace has fulfilled those needs. I layered my research by also bringing to light policies that were in place to help those who need assistance.

When actually conducting my research and beginning to plan out my project, I used what we had already learned in the course to guide me. I was influenced by the power of rhetoric, the importance of writing genre and specificity over generality to guide my writing. What is a topic most people forget about? What is something that would create a call to action? What will make my audience think critically and deeper, like I have?

I learned that writing does not always have to be informative with a formal tone, and something that is tedious. Rather, I came to the conclusion that it could be an expression of how I felt, and read almost like a journal of my internal thoughts. I found myself looking for comments from my peers, excited to see what they thought of my work and what they also learned from what I spoke about. I found myself looking through everyone’s responses and interested by what they found or took from the same piece of work I read. Did we view things the same way? Did they pick up on something I missed? I am normally not good at receiving feedback, however the criticism I received shaped my own writing from an outside perspective.

I found that it was important to listen and read the comments left on my post, as these people were my target audience. If what I was saying was too wordy, or harder for them to follow, I would go back in my writing and create a more concise sentence, or completely reword an entire paragraph. This in turn taught me that an outside perspective is just as important as my own, and representing these two ideas although difficult, creates stronger writing skills.

Most importantly, this assignment pushed me to think about other social issues. In the time period we are living in currently, there is a greater emphasis on viewing an oppressive system and bursting the bubble that I live in, even though I am not aware of it. Just as I have educated myself on racial discrimination in our system, I decided to educate myself on an issue that I have not yet thought twice about. Although I am an ally, I did not realize that I was not doing my part, when I have a voice and the ability to. In doing so, I realized that I enjoy conversational toned writing and I find that that is the style that I can truly express who I am and my unfiltered but filtered thoughts. This course and assignment taught me to truly think about topics that need more coverage, and do the work myself in order to not only critically think about myself, but the society we live in.

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Jackie Final Project

For my final project, I decided to use a blog site as a way to access information about my topic of universal design within the disability community. I used a series of studies, first hand accounts and magazine articles to collect my sources to create a call to action for those who are entering the workforce.

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Rough Draft of Project

My final project is going to center around the importance of Universal Design and the importance of accessibility. I decided to use a blog site as I felt as though my target audience would rely on media outlets like such for news information and other stories. I am still working out the kinks of the blog, however this is the rough draft. I decided to incorporate the importance of organizational culture in the workplace as something that facilitates universal design and an inclusive working environment.

Rough Draft

 

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Discussion Prompt week of 7/27 genre

The article I chose was one written by the New York Times  regarding the black lives matter movement, and the breakdown of numbers and the protesting in general. I believe this sample works, and it does not. The article does a good job at describing numbers and giving exact examples to back up what he is saying. He breaks down the article into subtopics which helps divide the information for the reader to better understand, or be able to find exactly what they are looking for in the article. I like these parts of the article, as it is a good representation of what I hope to do — the visual pairing with the information and broken down in a way that is easy to read. However, there are ways in which the article is less successful. The author almost uses quotes and information too much, to the point where it is more general information rather than to the point. The article is a way of putting information together to make it easier for the reader, instead of to the point and an easy read. The article is wordy, however that is not a bad thing with the magnitude of information being represented. I believe they did a good job at presenting important information that matters, however I will be trying to find a balance. It will take practice, however I do believe it is able to be achieved.

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Discussion Week of 7/20

  1. In the article “How to create a culture manifesto for your organization (and why its a good idea)” the author processes what she has learned by breaking down the article into subtopics of three companies, and ending with how the readers themselves can create their own humanifesto. The targeted group would be those entering the workforce or those who are starting up companies. The author utilizes smaller paragraphs that are easy to read while writing in a format that is more conversational. This information is more usable for readers as it is easy to find what they are looking for, and quick to understand. I believe the author writes the article in this way in order to keep the attention of the reader, while also using well known companies as examples to have the reader relate to the article. I believe the author also wrote in this format to relay themselves as a friend giving advice, as the author relays specific examples but not quoted and ending off with what the reader can do to create their own. By ending with how to create your own, it makes the reader feel as though they are talking to the author in person, while the author makes it clear to the reader that they are important in the article. For this audience, I feel as though this is the most effective way to engage them and create a compelling article.
  2. For my writing, I want my purpose to be a call to action for those who are entering the work force, which is the reader I would want to engage with.  The kinds of texts this sort of reader would be likely to engage with are first hand accounts from those with disabilities and information from studies. I see them getting this information on blogs, buzzed or other social media outlets. My readers would have a high expectation for level of detail, as providing the most information possible is something that attracts them. For writing style, they would tend to prefer a conversation style of writing as it feels more friendly and relatable. The length preferred of text would be short and to the point. Time spent read would be less than 5 minutes as it would coincide with the short and too the point method. Citation would be a nice flow in the sentence with an easy transition as it would make it easy to read. The types of evidence and sources would be credible and reliable as they make it easier to be reliable
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Project Proposal

The issue I am examining is the need for universal design in the workplace for those with a disability. I am working with sources that are close studies and first hand accounts mainly. The studies I have gathered provide evidence for how beneficial universal design is, while debunking many of the well known beliefs. I am also using sources that utilize current policies or organizations that help those with disabilities get the help and care that they need in the workplace. The first hand accounts will provide relate-ability as humans and give the readers a first hand look into living life in the eyes of others. My analysis is planning to go in a direction towards statistical evidence, providing numbers and concrete examples of the benefits of universal design. As I already have found sources that reflect a surface to deeper level of analysis, I am looking for sources that provide the counter to my argument or sources that take my analysis deeper. I am also hoping to find sources that contradict the belief in designing for all, or provide barriers that some companies or workplaces may view as being too big to overcome. The audience I am planning to write for is those who have overlooked design in institutions or have not given a second thought to those in need around us.

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Discussion Prompts for 7/13

  1. The linked resource I explored centered on the state of women in tech, but more specifically the wage gap and representation. The resource broke down the information into sections and kept each section brief. Statistics were provided in order to inform the audience of the stark differences between men and women in STEM. The categories are education, in the tech workspace, leadership, top barriers, top tech companies struggle balancing the gender gap, and global initiatives making their moves. This resource is valuable as it gives tangible numbers for then gender gap. it provides the reader with statistics to keep in mind, while keeping the writing short and to the point. I believe this adds realism to Wynn’s article as these numbers correlate to real life scenarios and create a layer of depth to what Wynn is already discussing. Wynn’s subtopic where this resource was found in the article is more a summarization and elaboration of the information in the resource, so having the actual source may be easier for some to conceptualize.
  2. I think those who would most benefit from the article are those in STEM or people who are of my age group. I think her target audience is those who are about to enter the workforce, but are still young enough to impact younger generations profoundly. One passage that works well for this audience is the one entitled “7. Be A Mentor.”  One quote that lead me to this conclusion in this passage was “Fix the faulty pipeline of women reaching leadership roles in the workplace and achieving greater progress by being a mentor.” Wynn is writing in a call to action form, emphasizing the importance of being a resource for younger girls. Previously in the same section, Wynn discusses the lack of mentorship that women have discussed, and how important it is to be a mentor for younger girls. She states that almost 50% of women said that there is underrepresentation because of lack of mentors, while the other half said it was the lack of role models. At this age, those at the college level are able to reach younger girls in a more relatable way than women older. Women of the college level have the ability to be role models for younger girls and proving to them that they can break the gender barriers and fulfill their dream career.
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Research Portfolio, Jackie

For this assignment, we were asked to compile a grouping of sources that we have found depicting and further expansion on inclusion and organizational culture.  We were asked to pick a topic, and immerse ourselves into the conversation, and report what we found. I chose to focus my assignment on disability inclusion, and diving into design in the workplace. My first few thoughts on the topic were broad, surrounding disability services in childhood and adolescents. My original plan was going to explain this aspect by focusing on healthcare for those with disabilities. 

However as I used Syracuse Summons and Google Scholar advanced searches to find resources, I found that healthcare was an addition to a topic that has always been important for me: universal design. Universal design focuses on the inclusion of all abilities and disabilities when designing a space for individuals to gather. This topic is important to myself as I have consistently worked with those with disabilities and have seen them struggle thriving in institutions that were not designed for them. In my research, I have found that while there are barriers to giving accommodations to those in the workplace, it is not impossible to do.

The most intriguing aspect of this topic to me is the first hand accounts of those who struggle. For myself, I do not suffer from a physical ailment, so finding clothes that fit me and being able to walk is something that became monotonous. However, as I have realized before, many people do not have that same luxury as myself. Each testimony of those in the disability community is different than the other, and how they struggle in different ways to create a sort of norm for themselves.

Moving forward with this project, I am hopeful to find more resources about universal design, and the logistics of implementing such a design. I am looking to find sources that are able to identify the barriers to designing such a way, or why thinking in such a way has become rare. I believe these resources would add a layer of depth to my argument, and allow me to create a well rounded report on universal design in the workplace.

Annotated Bibliography 1

Annotated Bibliography 2

Annotated Bibliography 3

Annotated Bibliography 4

Annotated Bibliography 5

Annotated Bibliography 6

Focusing Flowchart

Research Plan

Complicating Your Research Activity

Rounding Out The Conversation Activity

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discussion post for week of 7/6

  1. In a secondary source titled “Disability Inclusion–Moving Beyond Mission Statements” the authors provide statistical evidence for disability inclusion and detail where work should be moving in terms of inclusion. The first few paragraphs address barriers that companies may face in regards to moving to a more inclusive environment. One barrier they speak about is the policy and institutional ones. The authors provide evidence of legal Acts that are in place to protect those with disabilities and further, enforce the idea that all employees are entitled to a suitable work place. Which further raises the question of why do not most workplaces have all inclusive areas. Another barrier they address is the training and hiring process, which is exposed to be selective in the world of ability and disability.  The lack of those with disabilities in the workforce creates a harder advocacy for those who want to join the workforce as, the authors state, they do not see enough representation of their identity. The authors write this article in their opinion, and end with the expression that these barriers are easy to change and must, for a more inclusive environment.
    I plan to use this source to emphasize my own opinions of disability inclusion in the workforce, and to counter points that may include how it would be difficult to create an universal design and how many hold the opinion that those with disabilities can not perform the same. This article uses the importance of historical policies already set in place, and the ability that institutions have to make a change to convey the message of an universal design. I plan to use this source in that way, to further develop the center of my paper.

3. What I would inject into the discussion is the idea that in an open office type set up, it allows for more scrutiny than just your coworkers. For example, the Barnes indoor pool has a glass window that onlookers can look into the pool and observe the new area. However, this opens up the door for increased scrutiny and pressure on the guards and those who supervise. You would think that this would be a positive, however it leaves guards under immense amounts of pressure. I myself have gotten in trouble for touching my hair and crossing my legs up on the stand because someone walked by and assumed I was not paying attention and doing my job. Although many may think that this would be good and constructive criticism is appreciated, however it leads for many to lead blindly and draw conclusions. While Schwabb already discusses anxiety in an open office, I would further her point by adding the pressure of the onlooker. Outside criticism leads to those who know how to do their job to second guess their abilities, because a wandering eye or a passer by-er did not believe they were. Privacy would enable the worker to focus on their work, without questioning their sitting position, the break they take to sip their water or feeling the pressure from the outside.

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Research Plan

The main question that is guiding my research is why do not more institutions provide disability services? My argument and research is derived from the notion that making institutions disability friendly is an easy thing to do that benefits all. I believe that this question is of high importance as it is an easy fix that most of us forget about. For those who can walk, walking up a ramp is a quick and easier alternative to taking the stairs. Elevators are seen as the easier way to travel. For those who can see, navigating the way through a crowd can be made in an instant. For those who can hear, notifications can be turned off if they are seen as loud or annoying. However, those who can not do these things do not have the luxury of enjoying the nonchalant gestures people with different abilities have. I became aware of this when I went on a mission trip in Jamaica, and the children who we worked with could not do the basic functions as I could. It put into perspective how much myself and those around me take the functions of life that we forget about for granted. For the work I plan to be apart of in the future, the importance of disability and diversity inclusion is important to me as it reflects the values a company has. To me, if a company can not open up the employment pool to all, what does this say about them? With what we have been learning about organizational culture, this incentive has grown more important to me and has had me reflecting on the world we live in. I will be looking in the professional field mainly as I find more primary sources about those reflecting on the workplace. The secondary sources I have found are those that center about the workplace, and I feel as though the source material is in bulk regarding professional life.