Communication plays a vital role in building diverse and inclusive communities. Email messages are a common means of sharing information within the community, but if they exclude certain groups, they can create a sense of "otherness" and hinder community building. It is crucial to remove barriers and promote accessible and inclusive communication to build vibrant and inclusive communities.
But... if these email messages are not inclusive and accessible, they may not serve to bring the community together at all. They may end up doing the opposite instead. This point cannot be overstated enough! Think about it for a moment. If you receive an email message that was sent to the entire community that excluded you because of your age, gender, culture, race, and/or disability, what does that do? This sends a clear message that says, "You are not one of us" and "You don't belong with us" ... Creating the ultimate "otherness"! There is no possible excuse that makes this okay! People with disabilities have already heard every excuse imaginable. The right thing to do is fix the problem. Remove the barriers that prevent us from building diverse, vibrant, inclusive, accessible communities!
