BCFR’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is a natural extension of its mission to help individuals with developmental disabilities thrive in their communities, connect with others and achieve personal goals. We believe diversity within the agency’s workforce and among individuals served, families, and other partners leads to innovation, which drives us to create a culture that celebrates and supports people of every disability, race/ethnicity, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, and lived experience.  To help ensure this commitment translates into action, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion action plan centers around these goals:

• Improve access, inclusivity and equity for the people we serve
• Create a more inclusive and equitable climate and culture at BCFR
• Support more innovative and inclusive educational and professional development experiences
• Recruit, retain and develop a more diverse staff

Improve access, inclusivity and equity for the people we serve

• New agency website includes more accessible and multi-lingual features- January 2023
• Evaluating agency forms and processes to assure inclusion of all identities- Ongoing since January 2023

Create a more inclusive and equitable climate and culture at BCFR

• DEI committee was established with diverse representation from all agency teams- October 2021
• DEI culture survey completed by employees to gauge successes and ways to improve- January 2022 and folded into May 2024 Employee Engagement Survey
• Presentations to staff regarding a variety of topics
• Provided food labels at staff gatherings to identify ingredients used in foods for cultural and dietary considerations- October 2021
• Support of small businesses through group lunch orders- Ongoing since February 2021

Support more innovative and inclusive educational and professional development experiences

• Provided quarterly trainings for all employees regarding biases, microaggressions, belonging, etc.- Ongoing since April 2022
• Celebration held to provide education regarding a variety of topics for all employees
• Training provided to management staff regarding microaggressions- how to recognize and address- Summer 2022

Recruit, retain and develop a more diverse staff

• Juneteenth added as a paid agency holiday- Ongoing since June 2022
• Established a “floating” religious holiday that staff members can use in lieu of the Christmas holiday- Ongoing since January 2022
• Recognition of gender pronouns for all employees and inclusion of these offered on business cards, e-mails, name door plaques, etc.- Ongoing since July 2021
• Additional efforts to address the “whole” employee such as providing a fitness area, changing how employees can use paid personal time, and providing information monthly about the agency’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP)- Ongoing since January 2021

Create Disability Awareness Through Video Storytelling

• To foster a culture of acceptance and belonging, staff produced a series of videos featuring stories that highlight the importance of inclusion and understanding. These videos are shared on the BCFR YouTube and in local elementary school classrooms with the goal to educate and inspire others by showcasing powerful narratives about individuals with disabilities and the value of embracing diversity.