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How to become an inclusive organization

Create a written policy stating your intention to be an inclusive organization

Clearly define what inclusivity means for your organization.

Discuss the policy with all the leaders within your organization so they understand what is being done.

Make sure you have buy-in from every leader at every level.

Distribute the written policy to everyone that represents the organization, especially paid employees and volunteers.

Actually implement the policy.

Keep track of how it is going. Make adjustments, educate, be patient.

Make sure to include the groups mentioned in the policy. Representation matters.

Look for ability and cultivate it.

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Use targets instead of setting goals

I no longer create goals, I set targets.

In the past I would set goals, make plans. Then I would attempt to work the plans. Sometimes I hit the goals and other times I missed the mark. Most of the time I felt a great deal of angst about the process.

One day I was talking to a friend and realized that I had reached one of my goals. I had accomplished what I set out to do, but hadn’t realized it. I hadn’t realized it because I hadn’t written a good goal, and I had failed to establish key indicators.

When I had pictured the goal in my mind it looked completely different. I failed to realize that I would reach the goal in a smaller form long before I would hit the mark that I envisioned. What I had envisioned was a higher degree on a the scale.

So I decided to start using targets in place of goals. They are easier to create and you can create a range to success. The way I see it, it’s like an archery target or a dart board. There are rings from the outside moving towards the bullseye. The first target might be to hit the target as a whole and then move inward.

What I have found is that in setting / defining targets, I have changed the language so it stays in a more positive format. There is the added benefit of measuring progress.

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Let’s make AI into something good

If AI learns and will become what we make it, then shouldn’t we make the effort to teach it to be principled and good? It doesn’t seem like a good idea to teach it to be a doomsday machine by trying to prove a point. Instead of being fearful, let’s make it something useful. Let’s make it the thing we want it to be.

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WIN – What’s Important Now

According to Lou Holtz there is a simple formula for living life. Start by asking What Is Important Now, WIN. Then apply these four actions:
1) You choose your attitude.
2) Focus on your purpose
3) Dream and set goals
4) Make good choices.

If you apply the WIN concept to all four actions, you will find that choosing a good attitude is always the most important action right now. You’ll discover that focusing on your purpose is the right action right now. You find that dreams and goals will help you keep a good attitude and form your purpose. Finally you’ll know that making good choices is always the most important action right now.

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Bottle Your Inspiration

I find the ocean so inspiring that I long to return as soon as I’ve left. It makes me feel small and insignificant. If you’ve ever gathered seashells, you’ve noticed that pieces of large shells are tossed all over the beach. Yet the tiniest shells are completely unharmed by the same waves that destroyed the larger ones. I like to walk the beach and gather shells.

Georgia O’Keeffe loved the western United States. She loved it so much that she would fill barrels full of animal bones and ship them back home to her studio in New York. Barrels of animal bones in a New York studio, that’s where she created masterpieces. I’ve tried to mimic her behavior with jars of seashells all around our home.

The ocean inspires me. What inspires you? Have you found a way to harness the inspiration? Can you tap into it at anytime you wish? I hope so and if not I encourage you to find a way to do so.

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What We Bring Into Our Lives

There is a tribe in the Amazon where the men work 4 hours a week to maintain crops and the rest of their time is spent hanging out in the hut and swinging in hammocks. They don’t have much and they don’t require much either. What we bring into our life will determine the amount of resources needed to maintain our life.

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What are the key issues around accessibility for people with intellectual disabilities in tech?

– Answers provided via ChatGPT

There are several key issues around accessibility for people with intellectual disabilities in the tech industry, including:

  1. Cognitive Accessibility: People with intellectual disabilities may struggle with understanding complex language and instructions, making it difficult to navigate certain digital interfaces. This can be addressed by simplifying the language, providing visual aids, and breaking down tasks into smaller steps.
  2. Digital Literacy: Many people with intellectual disabilities may not have had access to digital devices or may lack the skills necessary to use them effectively. This can be addressed by providing training and support, such as tutorials or in-person workshops.
  3. Design and Usability: Digital interfaces may not be designed with the needs of people with intellectual disabilities in mind. This can lead to difficulties in navigating interfaces, understanding information, and completing tasks. Designers should consider the needs of this population when creating digital products.
  4. Inclusive Design: Inclusive design is an approach to designing products and services that are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. By considering the needs of people with intellectual disabilities in the design process, tech companies can create more inclusive and accessible products.
  5. Accessibility Standards: There are established accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), that provide guidelines for creating accessible digital interfaces. Tech companies should ensure that their products meet these standards to ensure that they are accessible to people with intellectual disabilities.

Overall, addressing these key issues requires a collaborative effort between tech companies, designers, and disability advocates to create more accessible and inclusive digital interfaces for people with intellectual disabilities.

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How can  artificial intelligence be used  in scientific research?

– ChatGPT

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize scientific research in a variety of ways. Here are some of the ways AI can be used in scientific research:

  1. Data analysis: AI can be used to analyze large datasets generated by experiments or simulations, and identify patterns and trends that would be difficult or impossible for humans to recognize. For example, in genomics research, AI is being used to analyze vast amounts of genetic data to identify disease-causing mutations and potential drug targets.
  2. Predictive modeling: AI can be used to build predictive models that can forecast outcomes or behaviors. For example, AI can be used to model the spread of infectious diseases or predict the effects of climate change on ecosystems.
  3. Drug discovery: AI can be used to design new drugs and identify potential drug targets by analyzing large datasets of chemical compounds and their interactions with biological systems.
  4. Personalized medicine: AI can be used to analyze patient data, including genetic data, medical history, and lifestyle factors, to identify personalized treatment options based on individual patient profiles.
  5. Experiment design: AI can be used to optimize experimental designs and data analysis techniques to improve the accuracy and efficiency of experiments. For example, in materials science, AI is being used to design new materials with specific properties by analyzing large datasets of material properties and identifying patterns and trends.
  6. Natural language processing: AI can be used to analyze scientific literature and extract relevant information. This approach is particularly useful in fields like biology and medicine, where vast amounts of scientific literature are generated each year.
  7. Robotics: AI can be used to control robotic systems that can perform experiments or collect data in environments that are too dangerous or inaccessible for humans. For example, in space exploration, AI-controlled rovers can explore the surfaces of planets and collect data that can be used for scientific research.

Overall, AI has the potential to transform scientific research by enabling researchers to analyze vast amounts of data, build predictive models, design experiments, and develop new treatments and technologies. However, careful consideration must be given to the quality and representativeness of the data used to train AI algorithms, and the interpretability of AI-generated results.