{"id":3990,"date":"2018-03-07T15:37:14","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T19:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/questrom-magazine\/?page_id=3990"},"modified":"2018-06-14T11:23:02","modified_gmt":"2018-06-14T15:23:02","slug":"choreographing-an-inclusive-business","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/questrom-magazine\/spring-2018\/choreographing-an-inclusive-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Choreographing an Inclusive Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

At Abilities Dance<\/a> in Boston, you might find Ellice Patterson creating a dance around the walker she sometimes uses for support, or whirling across the floor in harmony with a dancer in a wheelchair. Patterson (MSMS\u201917) founded the modern dance company, a nonprofit, in 2016 to give people of all physical and mental abilities the chance to express themselves professionally. The group includes six dancers and two composers (\u201cI use a lot of original music in my work,\u201d says Patterson). After having spinal surgery as a teenager and relearning to walk, Patterson struggled to find a dance studio in an accessible building, or choreographers willing to adapt routines so she could join in. Businesses need to realize that \u201cpeople with disabilities are just as able to do a job,\u201d she says. \u201cThey just might have to have a different approach or a different environment.\u201d Patterson has this advice for keeping inclusivity to the fore:<\/p>\n

1<\/span> Look beyond restrictive spaces.<\/strong> \u201cGreen Street Studios<\/a>\u2019 steps are very steep, and they don\u2019t have elevators. I collaborated with them on a dance for an outdoor festival in their parking lot. It brought the community together. Finding ways to make traditionally inaccessible spaces accessible allows people to participate in important events that can increase exposure for your company.\u201d<\/p>\n

2<\/span> Don\u2019t downplay what you can\u2019t see. <\/strong> \u201cYou might not know someone has a disability upon meeting them. When they disclose that information, don\u2019t respond with, \u2018But you seem fine,\u2019 or, \u2018Are you sure you need help?\u2019 It\u2019s hard to tell your boss, \u2018I might not be able to lift that box or walk up those stairs.\u2019 Be grateful to get that information, and modify accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

3<\/span> Pay attention to the small stuff.<\/strong> \u201cEven just a small step up to a building can be a challenge. And finding the space for a walker or a wheelchair in a restroom is definitely vexing.\u201d<\/p>\n

4<\/span> Don\u2019t treat us like victims.<\/strong> \u201cIn my day-to-day, I hear people use words like \u2018wheelchair-bound\u2019 or \u2018suffering from.\u2019 I would say \u2018person who uses a wheelchair\u2019 or \u2018a person with…\u2019 I\u2019m not suffering from anything. I have this condition and it\u2019s hard a lot of the time, but at the end of the day, I\u2019m still thriving.\u201d<\/p>\n

5<\/span> Broaden your idea of diversity.<\/strong> \u201cA lot of the time, diversity focuses on race or gender, but incorporating physical diversity makes for a more well-rounded company, which means that you have more diverse ideas and more diverse contributions to the company that can only help it expand and grow. Look at it as an investment in the company\u2019s future and a way to be a stronger thought leader in your industry.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At Abilities Dance in Boston, you might find Ellice Patterson creating a dance around the walker she sometimes uses for support, or whirling across the floor in harmony with a dancer in a wheelchair. Patterson (MSMS\u201917) founded the modern dance company, a nonprofit, in 2016 to give people of all physical and mental abilities the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13452,"featured_media":0,"parent":3875,"menu_order":18,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"story.php","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nChoreographing an Inclusive Business - Questrom Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/questrom-magazine\/spring-2018\/choreographing-an-inclusive-business\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Choreographing an Inclusive Business - Questrom Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At Abilities Dance in Boston, you might find Ellice Patterson creating a dance around the walker she sometimes uses for support, or whirling across the floor in harmony with a dancer in a wheelchair. 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