- [Shajira] Hello, everyone. And welcome to NDI's Inclusive Language staff training. I'm Shajira Brown and I will be your narrator. I'm so happy that you're here with me today. We have a lot to cover together, but you can look forward to discovering and learning why inclusive language is relevant to NDI's projects, but also in the world; what inclusive language is and why it matters; review recommended terms; obtain strategies on how to implement inclusive language into your work; and how to course correct if an error is made. I have a simple ask of you: Throughout the training, please keep an open mind, be optimistic, and remember exactly what it says on the screen. We all make mistakes. It's how we come back from the mistakes that matter. The equity and inclusion initiative within NDI is purposely not a department. Each one of us is responsible to drive equity and inclusion at NDI. One person is not working on moving this body of work forward, rather it is weaved within all projects, internal and external policies, and plays a major role in future work consideration. We are the leading organization to conduct research and raise awareness around the intersectionality of race equity, disability, poverty, and financial inclusion. Our work with government and city municipalities, nonprofits, major and small businesses result in helping all people with disabilities without regard of race, gender, religion, age, et cetera. As leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure that no matter what community a person or persons with a disability lives in or what socioeconomic status they have, our tools and services must be obtainable and relatable. Before we dive deeper into our training, let's start with quotes from Markus Zusak, a bestselling author from Australia, Mother Teresa, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and Catholic nun, and Victoria McGovern, where they all share the importance of words. If you notice, I did not mention Victoria's credentials, that's because I cannot verify who she is and what amazing work she has done, but her quote is amazing so that's why it's here. Using language carefully has always been important to NDI. We've been successful because we listen to the field. We are open to sharing different ideas, resources, and perspectives. This strategy is crucial in our work, which leads me into the quote by Victoria McGovern, "No matter how inclusive we work towards being, we can always do more. We can always do better." Inclusive language is something that we will always be working on. The materials that we produce more now than ever needs to be meaningful, obtainable, and relatable. Mother Teresa said, "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echos are truly endless." Where Markus Zusak said, "The best word shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words. They were the ones who could climb the highest." Here's how I see it. NDI continues to climb one of the highest, or shall I say, largest obstacles in the United States. We fight for financial empowerment for all people with disabilities. We do that through selective partnerships, projects, and the tools we produce that echoes endlessly for those within the disability community. Ultimately, it results in better understanding of accessibility within and outside of the disability community. And it promotes individuality so that people with disabilities can live life on their own terms.