Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Framework

OhioKAN believes that equity is not only a value and desired outcome, but a process of intentional action to eliminate systemic barriers that have produced historical and contemporary inequities based on race, gender, class, sexual orientation, geography, religion, and other aspects of a person’s identity.

OhioKAN stands in support of practices for the elimination of racism, classism, heterosexism, nativism, xenophobia, sexism, transphobia, ableism, discrimination against indigenous populations, and religious discrimination. Through the utilization of best practices specific to implementation science, human centered design, and trauma-informed care 58 , OhioKAN commits to sustained prioritization of the six IDEA principles in all practices. The IDEA principles target the distribution of resources and access to opportunities for children, youth, families, and communities in ways that promote equity and support transformational change, ensure safety, and actively disrupt the perpetuation of institutional discrimination and oppression. The six IDEA principles are:

  • Systems Analysis: To address the web of interconnected issues that inhibit communities of color and other populations marginalized by systems who are discriminated against and may face barriers to reaching their fullest potential, OhioKAN continually analyzes historical factors and inequities. This includes the distribution of resources, policy development, and practices to address disparities and mitigate trauma.
  • Social Justice: OhioKAN recognizes that inequities are rooted in policies and systems that unjustly disadvantage people of color and other populations marginalized by systems. For that reason, OhioKAN prioritizes solutions that are grounded in balancing power and advancing social justice for families.
  • Inclusion and Community Voice: OhioKAN embraces an equity-oriented approach, takes meaningful steps to decenter white dominant culture and actively seeks full inclusion of people of color and other populations marginalized by systems when identifying challenges and shaping solutions that will affect their lives and communities.
  • Naming and Confronting Discrimination and Exclusion: OhioKAN recognizes that discrimination, oppression, and exclusion have produced disparate outcomes for people marginalized by systems. OhioKAN actively confronts manifestations of discrimination and exclusion through the intentional development and ongoing analysis of programs and practices that are inclusive and equitable.
  • Intersectionality: OhioKAN recognizes the importance of understanding how race, class, gender and other aspects of one’s identity intersect, overlap, and interact with one another. Intersectionality provides some insight into how members of a family may simultaneously experience oppression and privilege in their daily lives interpersonally and systemically. OhioKAN utilizes this understanding of intersectionality in the creation of the program and practices and ensures that program analysis considers individuals’ and family’s intersectionality.
  • Sustained Commitment: OhioKAN maintains a commitment to long-term, sustained investment in time, resources, and people to advance equitable realities both internally and externally for the children, families, and communities that we serve. To demonstrate the sustained commitment, OhioKAN staff and agency affiliated representatives actively:
    • Stand against violence and hate of any kind brought on to communities of color and other populations marginalized by systems
    • Supports people and communities impacted by collective or historical trauma
    • Create spaces to continuously improve self-reflective capacity to examine our backgrounds and biases
    • Work against systemic causes of inequities in communities of color and other populations marginalized by systems
    • Remain empathetic to historical, community and cultural factors that may impact experiences with OhioKAN and access to services and supports in the community
    • Engage communities and families as partners and allies
    • Guard against the implied or explicit assumption that western, white, able-bodied, and/or gender conforming/heterosexuality is the normative, standard or default position
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