Khronos is committed to identifying ways we can improve diversity and inclusion by creating programs to make members and developers of all backgrounds feel welcomed. If for any reason you are having difficulty accessing any of our resources, please contact us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
- Diversity is a measure of the diverse backgrounds and identities of our members; the diversity of our membership is an indication of our success.
- Equity defines the ways in which we support our members to achieve the same levels of success regardless of their starting point.
- Inclusion is the actions we take to achieve equity and a sense of belonging for everyone, and drives our strategic direction.
- Belonging is the sentiment of feeling safe, welcome, and valued within Khronos spaces. Ultimately we want our whole community to feel this way.
Diversity
Diversity is a measurable metric we can use to find out the current state of our community; we need to know where we are in order to decide where to go next.
One of the very first steps we took was to commission an external survey to gauge where Khronos is as an organization; giving us a picture of where we are doing ok, and where we need to improve.
In March 2022, the Khronos Group commissioned a survey of its members to measure our diversity, gain insight into belonging, and investigate the overall sentiment around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Results from the survey indicated that we need to focus our attention on gender diversity, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) folk, and disability access. One area we appear to be doing well is with LGBTQ+ identities, which are well represented within our membership. While lack of representation for some identities might be explained by those members being less likely to respond to the survey, this in itself calls us to the same action - if they are there but don’t feel safe responding, we still have a problem.
Once we’d determined the identities where we are underrepresented, our next step was to look at why this disparity exists; what barriers do those marginalized identities face and what is their experience in Khronos. Diversity gives us an indicator as to where we need to improve, but we need to understand people’s sense of belonging and our ability to provide equity in order to get a fuller picture and start to take concrete action.
We intend to continue running this survey across our membership each year to allow us to check our progress, and give us data to inform any changes we need to make to our strategy.
Equity
Achieving equity means providing support and accommodations for our community so that everyone can access the same opportunities as their peers, regardless of their starting point. This can mean disability access, ensuring our processes don’t exclude anyone, or even just helping people out when they are in a tight spot.
Our survey indicated that we do in fact go some way to accommodating individuals already, but there’s absolutely more we can be doing.
Some of the efforts we’re currently undertaking to provide equity include:
- Accommodations policy document
- Meeting guidance to ensure all perspectives are heard, rather than just hearing from dominant voices
- Enabling safe spaces for people with shared identities to come together and discuss the issues they face, and give them a united voice
- Considering the SIGACCESS Accessible Conference Guide when selecting conference locations
We believe that by working together, we can create a more equitable community for everyone.
Inclusion
Working towards a more inclusive organization means examining our biases, opening ourselves to the idea that we may be excluding some people simply by maintaining the status quo, and breaking down unnecessary barriers.
The core of our efforts are driven by our DEIB Council formed of our members who have an interest in making Khronos a better place for our community. The council was formed in April 2021 out of a desire to grow as an organization, and has continued to evolve since then. It is open to all Khronos members, and publishes regular communication to the membership on their activities.
We also hired an external consultant to help with some of the items we wanted to achieve, and to identify other areas we’d be able to improve. With their help, we have been executing the following actions:
- Member training on DEIB issues, to offer our membership a different perspective and give them an opportunity to ask questions
- Policy and Process review, to ensure we don’t exclude anyone
- Defining a new Inclusive Language Lexicon and Guide
In our code of conduct, we pledge to make participation in our projects and our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, level of experience, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation. We encourage behavior that contributes to creating a positive environment, and we act on unacceptable behavior.
Everyone should feel welcome and valued, regardless of their background or identity.
Belonging
Belonging is a feeling and is the reported sentiment of the organization, which can be reinforced through a culture the organization purposefully creates.
As part of the survey we conducted, we also asked questions about how people feel about Khronos as an inclusive and safe space for them to thrive. While most of the membership did report they felt included and safe, this sentiment was not unanimous, and those with some identities did report barriers to entry.
To better understand those barriers, and uncover any barriers the survey missed, the Khronos Group commissioned an external consultant to conduct focus groups with members who had one of the identities discovered as marginalized within Khronos. Our next steps are to try to find solutions to the issues identified by those focus group discussions.
We are working to break down unnecessary barriers and create a space where everyone can thrive.
Conclusion
Khronos is committed to creating a more inclusive organization. We believe that everyone should feel welcome and valued, regardless of their background or identity. We are working to break down unnecessary barriers and create a space where everyone can thrive, and feel a sense of belonging. We are committed to continuing our work in this area, and we welcome member feedback and involvement. If you would like to volunteer in an official capacity, please join the DEIB Council or contact us.
If you currently want to report an incident, please contact us or submit an Anonymous Report.
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