Start with the Self

• Follow the Golden Rule – we treat others with the respect and kindness that we want to be treated with; we show up fully and give space for others to do the same.

• We hold each other in our full humanity, especially when we disagree — We are all imperfect, complex individuals and will make mistakes. We stand ready to extend grace to each other and ourselves and call in/out from a place of wanting to see each other win. We push past fear and avoidance to get to the other side.

• Act in Empathy – We are conscious of how and when we respond to one another. We are generous in extending compassion. We listen to understand, not just to respond. We display willingness to self edit and adjust as needed.

• Accountability is critical – We hold ourselves and each other accountable to following our values, meeting our goals and aligning with disability justice principles in everything we do. We assume good intentions of one another and are ready to help where we fall short. We don’t shy away from owning and naming our mistakes. 

Dream of New Possibilities…Then Make them Real

• This work demands that we dream – Disability Justice is the center of everything we do. We believe in a world where full participation for disabled people in every facet of life is possible and we work toward that every day. We bring radical imagination to every project we work on. 

• We value innovation – We are agile and flexible in how we work. Just because something has been done one way doesn’t mean we should keep doing it that way. We are conscious of our preferences, traditions, and requirements. We welcome alternative ideas and approaches.

• Diversity (it goes without saying but we have to say it) – Our work and approach is rooted in a collective liberation philosophy, centers the voices and experiences of the multiply marginalized (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, native/indigenous, immigrant, etc.) and understands the importance of an intersectional lens and approach. We represent the full spectrum of disability identity and are committed to cross-disability solidarity.

Transparency = Trust

• We value the gift of feedback – Because it is critical to our growth, effectiveness, and impact on others.

• We actively solicit diverse perspectives during decision making – We do not avoid conflict but recognize it as a necessary catalyst for growth.

• We do not do gatekeeping — Withholding information fosters mistrust, instability and fear. We share information freely and willingly and leadership commits to regular information sharing and radical transparency in all aspects of how we work internally and externally.

Center Collective Health, Healing, and Helping

• We believe in interdependence – changemakers in our space too often work in silos, which limits our effectiveness. In order to go far we have to go together and leverage the knowledge and power of the collective

• We acknowledge the impacts of capitalism and its harms and are actively working to create a culture that aligns with the disability justice principle of an anticapitalist politic: humans not as components of profit, nonconforming bodies and minds, people have inherent worth outside of commodity relations/productivity.

• We center care for self and community — Not a “nice to have” but a must have.

• We rest when we need to – That means breaks throughout the day, honoring Friday as an off day, working at your own pace, taking PTO, and overall centering your wellbeing

• Collective access — Accessibility is central to everything we do. We ensure everyone has their access needs met and can show up fully in their work. We regularly assess our limitations and think creatively about how to move beyond them.

Lean into Leadership

• We are a leaderful organization – we recognize everyone brings unique skills, talents and gifts and we value the lived and learned experiences of everyone on the team. The right way doesn’t look just “one way”; there are many paths and approaches to success. 

• Leadership requires courage – We focus on where we’re going rather than on what we hope to avoid. Consensus is not always possible and when it’s not we fall back on our values and our why. Everyone’s positions are heard and genuinely considered (regardless of positional power and authority) and when we don’t get our way, we support the team leaders right to make the call. 

• We are committed to continuous learning and development – We use our 10% time and professional development funds. We share our short and long term goals and actively seek out opportunities to cultivate them in ourselves and those we manage. We are not just one note. When we explore our hobbies and interests, that makes us better for our day-to-day work. Cross pollination of ideas and perspectives makes us more innovative.