Back in May 2021 I was privileged to be asked by the current DCJ DEN Chair, Jac Duncan, to be part of a delegation to the DCJ Board. It was a moving experience for me. I had pioneered DEN presentations to the Board in 2019 (February and November).
These are not opportunities to be squandered. The are chances to talk truth to power. For a short time, we have the undivided attention of the agency’s senior executive leadership team. Getting an invitation to present before the Board is a sign you are being taken seriously. For the DEN it was a major milestone. We had worked hard for that recognition.
In May 2021 the lead presenters were Chair Jacqui Duncan and Communications Deputy Chair Sharon Bennett. At the time I was very impressed by both, thinking the DEN was in very good hands.
Today, Monday 1 November I got an email DEN newsletter from Sharon. I saw the embedded videos and my heart sank. I was so used to internal emails with links only to the agency’s intranet. But I had under-estimated Sharon (I should have known better). They were on YouTube.
The May presentation was done via MS Teams, and it was recorded. Now you can watch two deeply impressive presentations to the Board on behalf of staff with disability.
Jacqui Duncan’s presentation:
Sharon Bennett’s presentation:
In my view these presentations are an object lesson in intelligent and sophisticated engagement with agency leadership. They are beautifully thought through, respectful, inclusive and absolutely committed to a shared response to the challenges that continue to confront staff with disability.