Kimberly Frey Consulting

The publishing of this post was delayed as I spent some much-needed time with Mother Nature camping in the Rocky Mountain National Forest. One of the areas in which I help my clients as a coach is in their life balance acquisition skills. As such, I try to make sure follow my own coaching advice to maintain my personal balance. Now I’m back – refreshed and ready to talk about the last area of my coaching and consulting business. In my previous posts, I have been sharing about my individual coaching and special education advocacy services that I provide. If you are looking for more information about either of these services, please take a moment to read these previous posts. They are a great way to learn more about the work that I do and how I can help. In today’s post I am going to talk about my role as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) consultant.

The topics of diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the workplace are not new. Diversity training first began in the 1960s because of the Civil Rights movement’s influence on the business world. Over the years, DEI has grown to encompass race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion. However, DEI efforts have not been extremely prominent for the one marginalized group that has been discriminated against for as far back as history records and has intersectionality with every other marginalized group – that of the disability community.

The disabled community consists of people with visible disabilities such as a person who is blind or physically impaired and/or a person with a non-visible disability such as Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, a mental health diagnosis, or a myriad of other disabilities that aren’t as visibly noticeable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 21.3% of Americans with disabilities work or are actively looking for work. While there are many reasons that contribute to this overall low percentage, a major factor is that the majority of workplaces are just not adequately prepared to support disabled employees’ success.

That’s where I come in. As a special education teacher for over twenty years, I fought for my students to get the accommodations they needed and also worked to create the inclusive environments that were necessary to support their success. As a DEI consultant, I now use my knowledge, expertise, and passion to help workplaces do the same. I am especially well-versed in how to help organizations build positive cultures and climates that allow all employees to grow and flourish. This is important as more and more employees are looking to work somewhere that they feel supported – whether they have a disability or not. Focusing on creating an inclusive organization helps ensure that employers are able to hire and retain top-tier talent.

If your workplace already has DEI programming in place, my work as a disability advocate will provide a filter to complement that work. If your organization is just starting their DEI journey and is looking for a professional to lead the way, then I am just the person you need. My passion for diversity, equity, and inclusivity combined with my knowledge and expertise make me extremely capable to spearhead your efforts. Wherever you find yourself within the DEI continuum, I can help. Visit my website http://www.kfreyconsulting.com for more information and to set up a free consultation.