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What is a statement of commitment?
A Statement of Commitment is a public statement that outlines how you intend to commit or act. Your organisation or service can create a Statement of Commitment about how you are accessible and inclusive for disabled young people.
A useful Statement needs to be visible. They can be listed on the front page or linked in the A section of a website that sits at the very bottom, and is the same on every page. Usually a collection of important links to other pages on the website.footer of a website. They can be posted up in the front window or on the desk or notice board of a physical location. A good Statement should inform readers of what you will do and how you will be accountable.
Writing these statements with your teams, and making sure your leadership is included, can help the whole organisation better understand their responsibilities and commitments to disabled young people. This can increase awareness and proactive responses to barriers to access. A lot of disabled young people will also say that seeing or hearing these Statements can contribute to the recognition and visibility of disabled young people. This can lead to disabled young people feeling more confident and likely to use a service.
Statements of Commitment can also come in various formats, have different names, and be used in various ways. Examples can be on websites, when talking to individuals, on buildings and offices, in program or event promotional materials, and in job recruitment.
Examples of statements of commitment
Download the Brunswick Music Festival flyer.
The Brunswick Music Festival included the following statement in their printed promotion:
We take access and inclusion seriously. We are committed to making every event as accessible and inclusive as possible for all members of our community. If you have a specific access request, would like further information or want to provide any suggestions, we would love to hear from you!
Click here to for Brunswick Music Festival's website statement.
They also included the same statement on their website and included extra information:
Please see below for detailed Venue Accessibility Information for all Brunswick Music Festival venues. If you have any accessibility queries, please contact us via this email address.
Click here for Thorne Harbour Health's diversity and inclusion statement.
Thorne Harbour Health (2021) include the following text as part of their online statement:
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is aimed at actively addressing stigma and discrimination in all its forms including homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, ageism, and ableism. We are committed to providing health and well-being services for our communities and to actively address service access barriers, particularly for those experiencing social or economic marginalisation.
Creating your own statement of commitment
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What message do you want to get across?
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How is it being communicated?
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How could you stay accountable?
- What are the benefits of having a public declaration like this?
- What does ‘as accessible and inclusive as possible’ tell you?
- What do these statements say about the services and the people that organise them?
- How would you write or update this in your organisation?
- Could you include other ways for people to contact you? Rather than just an email address?
- Where would you display it? Are there more places it could be displayed, where disabled young people will notice?