Tiffany Woods

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Below are examples of how I have supported Oregon Sea Grant’s (OSG) and Oregon State University’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

Representation in photos and videos

Representation matters. It makes people feel visible, validated and valued. I keep this in mind when selecting and shooting photos for Oregon Sea Grant’s communications needs. I try to be aware of my own biases. I ask myself why am I selecting this photo? Why am I not selecting other photos? Does this image reflect the diversity of the audience we serve or aspire to serve? Does the image align with the content? Does it avoid stereotypes? Is it a positive, accurate portrayal? Has the photo been used before? How does it fit in with other photos in the project? Has a model release been signed?

Here are a few examples of how I have been intentional about representation:

• Included a goal in my annual performance evaluation to obtain photos that represent the diverse identities of the people whom OSG supports, collaborates with or aspires to include, support or collaborate with in our activities and programs. The goal also included updating photos on OSG’s website so that these individuals feel included or see potential for their participation in Sea Grant activities and programs.
• Collaborated with OSG’s leadership team to select interviewees who represented diverse identities for a video commemorating Oregon Sea Grant’s 50^th anniversary. The final video included Indigenous and Asian individuals.
• Encouraged OSG’s web manager to represent diverse identities when selecting photos for the website to ensure that the site is representative of audiences Oregon Sea Grant supports or aspires to support. I also assigned her a goal in EvalS of evaluating sections of the website from a DEI perspective and using the Extension Service’s DEI audit of its website as a guide.
• Sent OSG’s web manager and the leaders of our DEIJA working group links to over 100 photos on OSG’s Flickr page that I shot or commissioned and that are representative of the work OSG does as seen through a DEI lens. Some of the photos were used on the DEIJA section of OSG’s website.
• Selected or shot photos of people from underrepresented races, ethnicities and other identities for social media posts, marketing materials, OSG’s strategic plan, OSG’s donation webpage for Dam Proud Day, banners, legislative outreach materials and OSG’s website. Examples are too numerous to list them all, but here are a few more:
  • Photographed a female, Bangladeshi engineering student who was an Oregon Sea Grant intern for a story in OSG’s Confluence newsletter.
  • Selected a photo of students with different skin tones for a social media post about a job opening for a director of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub.
  • Shot photos of an OSG workshop at the Centro Cultural César Chávez at OSU that assisted students of various races with submitting applications for scholarships and internships. I later used the photos on social media posts to help OSG with its goal of recruiting a diverse pool of applicants.

When assigning photo shoots to freelancers, I mention OSG’s commitment to diversity and ask them to be intentional about photographing people representing a range of identities – as long as people consent and they or their parents sign model releases. Recognizing that women are not equally represented in STEM fields, I ask freelancers who photograph our k-12 science activities to be intentional about photographing girls doing hands-on activities. Here is a photo shoot of a career day that resulted from such guidance.

When shooting photos, I ask people for permission (if they agree, then I ask them to sign OSU’s model release) and I explicitly tell them how and where their photos may be used, such as on social media, Flickr, websites, news media, marketing materials and possibly by OSU and the national Sea Grant office. Once I know they understand, then I proceed. In one instance, I contracted a freelancer to photograph a summer camp for Indigenous teens. The organizers were fine with that but asked that students’ faces not be shown. As a result, I selected only photos in which students could not be identified or I cropped out faces. I then shared the images with the organizers so they could approve them before I used them.

More recently, I’ve been working to diversify OSG’s pool of freelancers, particularly photographers. By diversifying our contracted photographers, I am to bring in multicultural perspectives and also help people who are from underserved races, ethnicities and indigeneities feel more comfortable by having someone of their same race, ethnicity or indigeneity photograph them. As part of this effort, I contracted a female Hispanic photographer to shoot our Fossil Fest at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and a female Indigenous photographer to shoot Hatfield Marine Science Day and an underwater robotics contest that we organize.

Online accessibility

As a manager, I encouraged and supported our web manager’s efforts to make OSG’s website and PDFs compliant with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. I sent her tips on alternative text; an invitation to an online conference on website accessibility; tutorials on using screen reader software; a contrast checker to make sure pairs of colors are readable; instructions on how to create and verify PDF accessibility; and a checklist of federal and state requirements for developing an accessible website. In a written document of action items, I assigned her duties to ensure that the website is accessible (e.g., test pages with screen readers and make sure images have alt text, colors can be seen by colorblind users and PDFs are accessible). I supported her interest in enrolling in an online tutorial on creating accessible PDFs.

To ensure that videos on OSG’s YouTube channel were accessible, I contracted 3PlayMedia to provide closed captions for about 100 videos. I then reviewed them for accuracy and uploaded the files to YouTube.

As part of my duties at OSG, I submit journal articles, technical reports and other publications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s library. These items must comply with section 508. Journal articles must be open-access; if they are not, then I ask the authors for the edited version of the manuscript that does not have publisher-added formatting. I then submit this “author’s copy” to the library so that paywalls do not impede public access.

When I work with graphic designers, I ask them to make PDFs accessible. I also remind staff that if they contract graphic designers or produce PDFs themselves, then they need to make sure the documents are accessible. To help, I have provided resources that have included a tutorial and videos.

Social media

Below are a few examples of I how I made diversity and accessibility part of my social media workflow:

• Created and curated lists on X (formerly known as Twitter) of accounts administered by underrepresented groups. This includes women of color at OSU, LGBTQ people in STEM at OSU, Oregon women in STEAM, Black women in STEM, Latinas in STEM, Black engineers, Latinx in marine sciences, Black people in marine science, and Chicanos and Hispanics in STEM.
• Posted scholarship and fellowship announcements on X and Facebook and tagged the above groups to reach a diverse applicant pool.
• Contacted librarians for recommendations on ocean-themed children's books written by Black, Indigenous and other people of color. This was in response to one of our followers on Facebook who inquired about such books.
• Wrote alt text on social media posts so they could be narrated by screen readers for visually impaired users.
• To accompany posts, I selected photos that represented the diverse range of identities of people OSG supports or aspires to support.
• Made the above actions a part of the social media specialist’s duties when OSG temporarily employed one.

Translations and Spanish language professional development

Below are examples of how I have advanced Oregon Sea Grant’s efforts to reach Spanish-speaking audiences:

• To brush up on my Spanish, I participated in a 10-week Spanish conversation course through Linn-Benton Community College that met weekly; enrolled in another Spanish conversation class; and joined a Meetup group for conversing in Spanish.
• I expressed interest to my supervisor about offering Spanish translations of information that’s offered by OSG’s marine education program and is read by schoolchildren or their Spanish-speaking family members. I asked staff with OSG’s marine education program if they had a need for information to be translated into Spanish, and I offered to facilitate the translation process.
• Stayed abreast of developments with Extension’s new translation service, Transport, as it was being rolled out. Let OSG staff know about it and shared a link to a Coffee with Colleagues talk about Spanish translation services.
• Offered to have OSG communications pay for translations, including Spanish translation of chaperone guidelines for field trips. As a result, a staff member created a webpage about STEM in libraries.
• Obtained and paid for Spanish captions for a recording of a career day webinar.
• Obtained and paid for Spanish captions for 19 videos aimed at recreational boaters and the people who maintain sewage disposal facilities at marinas.
• Obtained and paid for Spanish captions on a video on how to can tuna.
• Met with the bilingual communications specialist with Extension Communications to discuss opportunities for collaboration and support regarding content in Spanish.
• Collaborated with OSG’s graphic designer and its Extension boater outreach coordinator to create a flyer in English and Spanish that tells boaters how to dispose of wet wipes to avoid clogging pipes at pumpout stations. The flyer was distributed to 47 equipment managers and four boating associations.
• Created a Facebook event in Spanish to invite people to a Shop at the Dock tour that was in Spanish.
• Asked OSG’s former social media specialist to post on Facebook in Spanish about a career day webinar that would be taught in Spanish.
• Sent OSG’s special projects coordinator resources for translating information about quests, which are clue-guided, educational walks, into Spanish. I offered to have OSG communications pay for it. As a result, a webpage with two quests was created in Spanish, and OSG communications paid for the translation using the Transport translation service.
• I collaborated with the Extension coastal hazards specialist to create a 7-foot, retractable banner in Spanish and English.

Job searches

To diversify Oregon Sea Grant’s pool of student workers, I emailed students who work as communications representatives at OSU’s cultural centers to see if they might be interested in a work-study position or if they might know of others students with skills in photography, graphic design, writing, social media, editing or videography who might be interested. I also stopped by OSU’s Centro Cultural César Chávez, dropped off my business card and spoke with the front desk staff about our interest in hiring student workers for the communications program.

I also contacted Felix Oliveros, the head academic adviser in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts, to see if he might recommend any students or professionals who perform communications work such as photography, graphic design, writing, social media, editing and videography. I mentioned that I was particularly interested in students and contractors of diverse identities who have both technical and multicultural competencies.

I also reached out to The Portland Observer, the oldest continuous African American-owned publication in Oregon, to inquire about recommendations for communications professionals. And I contacted a Black radio host and producer with Oregon Public Broadcasting who also writes as a freelance journalist to inquire about a possible collaboration and also see if he might recommend any freelance communicators.

Here are a few other examples:

• Asked the diversity, equity and inclusion development specialist for OSU’s Division of Extension and Engagement for suggestions on how to promote a job opening for an Extension fisheries specialist to a diverse pool of potential applicants.
• Posted job announcement for aquaculturist position on X and Facebook and tagged groups representing minorities in science and aquaculture to reach a diverse applicant pool.
• Included a search advocate on a committee for an Oregon Sea Grant communications specialist. Made sure the search advocate was involved with the development of the position description and the screening criteria matrix.
• In the position description for the communications specialist, I made diversity, equity and inclusion inherent in the duties. For example, the duties for social media included the following: “Works to ensure that posts and photos represent the diverse range of identities of OSG’s staff, researchers, scholars and clients and that, when applicable, content is shared with underrepresented groups and individuals.” One of the writing duties read, “Seeks to represent in written content the diverse range of identities of OSG’s staff, researchers, scholars and clients.” Under professional development, it read, “Identifies and participates in educational opportunities that enhance this position’s ability to perform its duties. This includes not only technical trainings in communications-related subjects but also opportunities that support a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
• Included similar duties in a position description for a social media specialist, and I also invited a search advocate to serve on that committee.
• For the communications specialist position, I advertised it on the following job boards: JournalismNext.com (a job board for journalists of color), the National Association of Black Journalists, the Native American Journalists Association and the Association of LGBTQ Journalists.
• When promoting the communications specialist and the social media specialist jobs on X, I tagged the above associations plus the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
• When I promoted a position on LinkedIn for a science writer, I used tags for associations representing Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and Asian journalists. I also used hashtags for writers and scientists who identify with these racial and ethnic groups (e.g., #BlackWriters).

Other actions:

• Mentored a Hispanic undergraduate participating in OSU’s PROMISE internship program for students who are historically underrepresented in higher education. Completed three hours of social justice training as part of the mentors’ responsibilities. Provided guidance on intern’s project, which involved filming and editing three videos over 10 weeks.
• To ensure that content I wrote about Indigenous people and topics was culturally respectful, I bought “Elements of Indigenous Style,” which includes advice on culturally appropriate publishing practices; terminology to use and avoid; and advice on specific editing issues, such as capitalization and biased language. I referred to the book when writing about summer camps OSG organizes for migrant and Indigenous teens. I also submitted the story to Indigenous and Hispanic reviewers for approval.
• Asked Jane Waite, the director of the Social Justice Education Initiative (SJEI) at OSU, if she’d be interested in leading a workshop for Oregon Sea Grant. I let OSG’s director know that she was. I also suggested to OSG’s director that OSG consider having staff at a program-wide meeting do one of the activities from the SJEI trainings. Additionally, I encouraged a direct report to attend the SJEI workshops, and I shared handouts with her. She later enrolled in an SJEI workshop.
• Met with OSG’s undergraduate programs coordinator to offer support for designing five posters and a handout highlighting diverse scholars at five Sea Grant programs, including OSG, for a conference by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science.
• Met with OSG’s undergraduate programs coordinator to discuss how to promote scholarships and internships to a diverse audience. Later emailed her resources and ideas to achieve this. Also emailed her information on a webinar about building relationships with HBCU’s and MSIs; she registered for the webinar. Also emailed her a 26-page list of Minority Serving Institutions.
• Suggested to OSU’s University Relations and Marketing that they modify their model release form for photos so that people can include their pronouns if they want to. The aim was to make sure they are identified correctly in captions on Flickr and elsewhere.
• Attended meetings of OSG’s DEIJA committee.
• Read the results and recommendations from Extension’s audit of its website. Presented my supervisor with options for conducting a similar audit of OSG’s website.
• Attended a consultant’s presentation about the results of their racial diversity, equity and inclusion audit of OSU’s marketing and communications materials. Court Morse, the owner of Action Path LLC, conducted the audit.

Trainings

I attended the following trainings, presentations and workshops:

• Search Advocate training and refresher workshops to remain eligible
• Eight hours of training in two workshops conducted by Jane Waite for OSU’s Social Justice Education Initiative. I learned about the history of racism in Oregon, social justice vocabulary, social identities, dominant culture and microaggressions.
• “Inclusive Hiring Best Practices” by Linda Herrera, a diversity and equity officer at Chemeketa Community College
• “A Deeper Look at Micro-aggressions: Exploration and Practice” by Jane Waite
• “Diversity and Inclusion – What, Why, and ROI: Creating a LGBTQ+ Friendly Environment for Staff, Clients, and Students” by Mike Chaddock
• “Accessibility Basics for the Web” offered by OSU’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Access
• 10-week Black Minds Matter course at the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center
• “Spheres of Influence: Difference, Power and Social Justice in University Marketing” by Susan Shaw
• A webinar for communicators in the national Sea Grant network on making PDFs accessible
• “Whiteness in Higher Education” by Erich Pitcher
• Two eXtension diversity and inclusion webinars by Juanita Simmons titled “Infrastructure and Design” and “Socialization and Institutional Inequities”
• 3.5-hour OSU Search Advocate training, “Bravely Confronting Bias,” to learn how to keep unconscious biases from influencing hiring processes
• “Creating Multilingual Spaces: A toolkit for inclusion” by Ana Lu Fonseca and Elsa Curtis
• Extension’s monthly Diversity Champion meetings from February-November 2020
• OSU’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration breakfast and a keynote presentation by Black, queer, transgender activist Raquel Willis
• OSG’s informal conversations on social injustice and systemic inequity. These conversations evolved into today’s DEIJA working group.
• A webinar titled “Inclusion and Equity in Science Communication” by Sunshine Menezes, the executive director of the Metcalf Institute
• A webinar called “Start somewhere: DEI in marketing and the impact of our perfectly imperfect journey” by Ecampus’ Ali Duerfeldt and Nick Saemenes
• A webinar called “Social Media Accessibility” by Alexis Croisdale from OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences
• CEOAS courtesy professor Dawn Wright’s talk, “The Courage to Escape,” in which she reflected on her experience as a woman of color in the geosciences and how to increase diversity in that field.
• The following four DEI workshops during OSU Training Days:
  • “Learning for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”
  • “Creating an Affirming Environment for Trans Students and Colleagues”
  • “What it Really Takes to Support Native American Diversity”
  • “Working as and with Employees with Disabilities”