Our Commitment
At The Kowtha Constellation, we recognize that improving accessibility practices is a continuous and collaborative journey. We also acknowledge that each organization’s capacity for embedding accessibility is often deeply influenced by the available resources.
This means that as we grow our financial reserves, not only are we able to expand our accessibility practices, but we have a greater duty to do so.
Over the past few years, we’ve focused on improving accessibility for our founder and the backend systems that power our work, ensuring our work processes, content and deliverables are accessible to our clients, contracters and wider community.
Our commitment to accessibility is rooted in our core values, which guide our work and shape the experiences we create:
- Decolonization: Undoing the impact of colonialism and capitalism in our work and world.
- Community: We prioritize connection and co-creation, fostering spaces of collaboration and listening.
- Care & Liberation: We believe that care and liberation are central to the work we do, creating environments where innovation and joy can flourish.
- Joyful Inclusion: Accessibility is not just a necessity but a gift, one that brings lightness, delight, and energy to everyone involved.
Currently, we have the following practices in place:
- Variety of Payment Options: Offering multiple payment plans and options to accommodate different needs.
- Free and Low-Cost Trainings & Resources: Making accessible learning opportunities available to all.
- Closed Captioning: Available for video recordings and live meetings, enhancing accessibility for those with hearing impairments.
- Trauma-Informed Practices: We apply trauma-responsive methods to ensure safe and supportive environments for all.
- Neurodiversity-Inclusive Learning: Resources designed to accommodate a variety of neurotypes and learning styles.
- Global Time Zone Accommodations: We aim to schedule events and meetings with consideration for various time zones.
- Transcripts for Audio/Video Content: Providing transcripts alongside all recordings to ensure accessibility for those with auditory processing needs.
- Inclusive Space Facilitation: We strive to create welcoming spaces that respect and honor a diverse range of races, abilities, neurotypes, gender identities, sexualities, and body sizes.
- Assume positive intent in working relationships. It can be easy to misread communications, especially when working with neurodivergent individuals, this can be difficult due to constantly bein misunderstood or accused of being rude, difficult or unhelpful. Acknowledging this, we do our best to assume positive intent in all communications and where necessary open direct lines of communication to seek clarity.
- De-prioritizing the written word: We ensure that our contractors, clients or wider community are able to communicate and participate through audio recordings as well as text, for those who have a preference for this or struggle to communicate through the written world whether due to dyslexia, overwhelm or something else.
- We do our best to accommodate caring responsibilities and timezones. This means we actively let our people know that their commitments and timezone differences are ok, and that where possible we will work around these needs.
Covid-19 and Accessibility
While the world has moved past the height of the pandemic, we continue to face the lingering effects of COVID-19. Many people are still impacted by Long Covid, and a growing number of individuals are facing new health challenges.
During the pandemic, a significant push to acknowledge disability and provide accommodations—such as remote working, virtual events, and improved health protocols—highlighted the needs of marginalized groups. These practices were not just pandemic responses; they are essential components of accessibility that must be maintained.
At The Kowtha Constellation, we have chosen to continue with the precautionary measures that serve our clients and community, especially those who are disabled or immunocompromised. This includes:
- Virtual meetings and events for clients who prefer them
- Air quality testing and masking at in-person events
- Ongoing prioritization of accommodations for those with specific health needs
We believe that maintaining these protocols is a crucial part of ensuring an accessible and inclusive environment for everyone.
Social Mobility
Mentorship
Depending on my own capacity, I frequently take on a mentorship role for a member of my community, generally under the age of 35 years old, in need of professional mentorship and guidance. Generally, this is by invitation only and lasts six to twelve months in a container that works for both of us.
Redistribution of Resources
We focus on redistribution of wealth and resources in a variety of ways. Here are a few of the ways we have put our efforts into action since 2018:
- A bi-annual fundraiser for the local food bank, summer and winter.
- A fully sponsored seat in Sowing Post Capitalist Seeds for a QTPOC participant, each cohort, sponsored by The Kowtha Constellation in addition to any other scholarships.
- Direct giving to a number of individuals via Patreon (or other platforms) as a monthly patronage to support their work. Most of these individuals are disabled, or chronically ill, BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+, or other marginalized folks.
- Annual fall tree planting.
Support of organizations with missions we are in solidarity with. In the past we have given to The Woodland Trust, The Southhall Black Sisters, Sakhi Education for Girls, Soul Fire Farms.
Our Commitment to Growth
We are committed to continuously improving our accessibility practices. We understand that true accessibility is not a destination but a process that requires constant learning, adaptation, and feedback. Our goal is to expand our efforts as we grow, learning from our community and applying that knowledge to refine and enhance our accessibility.