Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
An intersectional approach to increasing access and inclusion, fostering a sense of belonging and vibrant communities where everyone can shine.
By 2030, we will increase access, inclusion, and sense of belonging for employees, volunteers, and participants through collaborative and data-informed Indigenous-focused and equity initiatives.
Gender and Sexual Diversity
Goals:
- To make efforts to dismantle forms of discrimination based on gender and sexual identity through our programs, practices, and education.
- To ensure the Y supports the advancement of women and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
- To develop equity-oriented gender and sexual diversity initiatives, applying them consistently across the Y with attention to intersecting identities.
Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity
Goals:
- To ensure the Y is intentionally anti-racist and continues to build on the foundational work done on dismantling anti-Black racism.
- To expand opportunities and access for racialized communities to ensure the Y is racially and culturally diverse, reflective of the communities we serve.
- To strengthen sustainable, equitable practices, programs, and education that address inequities related to race, ethnicity, religion, and intersecting identities.
Disability and Accessibility
Goals:
- To make efforts to dismantle ableism through our programs, practices, and education.
- To ensure the Y is accessible to disabled communities by adopting and promoting universal design principles.
- To advocate for sustainable, equitable inclusion and resourcing of disabled individuals and their support systems.
- To advance a strength-based and intersectional approach to disability.
Anti-Colonialism and Indigenous Reconciliation
Goals:
- To develop a roadmap that guides the implementation of our reconciliation goals:
- To use an anti-colonial* lens to make improvements in our internal and external initiatives.
- To extend our reach and improve access to Y programs and services for Indigenous communities.
- To continue raising awareness on discrimination and inequities experienced by Indigenous communities and providing resources to support reconciliation actions that address them.
- To strengthen and build meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities, with attention to intersecting identities, to ensure the Y is a trustworthy partner.
*Anti-colonial lens/approach: A process of assessing for biases, barriers and inequities that exist as a result of historical and ongoing colonial practices. These can include standards, stereotypes, policies, practices that undermine, devalue and/or erase Indigenous Peoples, their rights, culture, knowledge and ways of being.
Programs
- Provide quality, accessible, and sustainable equity programming and initiatives.
- Expand the reach of YMCA programs to underrepresented/underserved equity-deserving groups.
- Develop Indigenous-focused and equity programming.
- Identify and remove/reduce barriers to access and participation.
- Enhance collaboration between program areas to identify similar.
- DEIB-related needs and coordinate on strategies and initiatives.
Partnerships
Achieve our DEIB goals through collaboration.
- Foster meaningful relationships with Indigenous and equity-deserving community-led groups to extend YMCA reach and impact.
- Include DEIB in advocacy efforts related to our programming and communities we serve in the Greater Toronto Area.
- Partner with strategically aligned local organizations on advancing equity initiatives.
Resilience
Forward Thinking: Building a sense of belonging for everyone we reach.
Internally
- Use improved employee data and data-driven supports.
- Expand and evolve DEIB learning for employees.
- Extend coordinated DEIB learning opportunities to volunteers.
- Provide ongoing support of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
- Ensure that equity and impact on equity-deserving groups is included in assessments of AI for YMCA use
Externally
- mprove member demographic data collection to inform equity initiatives and support advocacy initiatives.
- Explore new ways to facilitate DEIB learning and engagement for members.
- Prepare to support Indigenous and equity-deserving groups affected by climate emergencies.
If you’d like to learn more about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at the Y, please contact diversity@ymcagta.org.