YOSEMITE’S deia COUNCIL

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Council is to commit staff and resources to create a better workplace for all members of the Yosemite community, where shared values and unique assets are celebrated and utilized in equal measure to help us better fulfill our mission for the American people. The council is primarily a tool to better oversee and communicate about projects aiming to instill and maintain the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in Yosemite National Park, and the National Park Service. Accordingly, the council aims to support the park and park employees with ideas and issues related to DEIA.

Get Involved

Both the DEIA Council and Wellness Coalition have been placed within Safety's Wellness Program to help better address and incorporate psychological safety into park operations. Psychological safety refers to the ability to share one’s thoughts and feelings without risk of damaging one’s reputation or standing.

In practice, this describes employees' ability to share ideas without the feeling of shame or judgement from others, and their sense of acceptance and respect in the workplace. Learn More

 

At Yosemite, DEIA exists when…

  • All communities feel connected & welcome, and visit the park.

  • All communities feel a benefit from parks and are willing to support the NPS mission.

  • The demographics of the park staff reflect those of the nation.

  • All park staff feel supported, welcome, and safe.

  • Yosemite staff culture is inclusive, values diversity, and encourages participation from all.

The council will strive to provide the following services:

  • Serve in an advisory capacity to YLT regarding DEIA issues.

  • Act as a framework to support Yosemite’s ERGs and serve as a reporting body for ERG activity.

  • Provide skills, training, and support for park employees and partners.

  • Support culture change toward DEIA.

  • Stay current on DEIA trends, both within the National Park Service and the nation.

  • Promote sound DEIA business practices for recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce

 

What is DEIA?

 
 

Diversity​ represents the practice of actively incorporating people of different backgrounds, perspectives, and beliefs across the organization to ensure that NPS is advantaged by the most innovative thinking possible. Diversity is not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age or physical ability, but rather represents the wide range of visible and invisible traits that make each of us unique.

Inclusion​ is the practice of intentionally building a culture that is flexible, values diverse ideas, and embraces the meaningful participation of all. Inclusion highlights the importance of workplace culture, as it is defined by a sense of belonging.

Equity involves the constant evaluation of differences in individual experience, and the adjustment of systems and processes according to those differences, all to ensure the fair and just treatment of everyone. In comparison to equality, equity recognizes that in achieving a goal, we do not all start from the same place, and we must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances.

Accessibility is the practice of making information, activities, environments, and resources sensible, meaningful, and usable for as many people as possible.

NOTE: There is sufficient overlap between all four elements of DEIA, and one element is ineffective without the existence and support of the other three elements!

 

Why deia?

Put simply, the greater the variety of minds in your workplace, and the more supported they feel, the greater the mix of skills, experiences, perspectives and ideas you can draw from. Many studies have examined the benefits of DEIA in the workplace, and have found significant results in favor of DEIA!

  • Companies who reinforce DEI in the workplace have 19% higher innovation revenues (Harvard Business Review, 2018).

  • Workplace belonging can lead to an estimated 75% decrease in employee sick days, an estimated 56% increase in job performance, and an estimated 50% reduction in turnover risk (BetterUp, 2020).

  • 76% of job seekers and employees report that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers (Glassdoor, 2020).

  • 32% of job seekers and employees report that they would not apply for a job at a company where there is a lack of diversity among its workforce (Glassdoor, 2020).

In addition to all of these benefits, in 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14035: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce. This Order launched a whole-of-government initiative to cultivate a federal workforce that draws from the full diversity of the Nation and that advances equitable employment opportunities.

Both the DEIA Council and Wellness Coalition have been placed within Safety's Wellness Program to help better address and incorporate psychological safety into park operations. Psychological safety refers to the ability to share one’s thoughts and feelings without risk of damaging one’s reputation or standing.

In practice, this describes employees' ability to share ideas without the feeling of shame or judgement from others, and their sense of acceptance and respect in the workplace. Learn More