A quick summary of some of the developments which have occurred in January 2024 or progress towards or beyond the month JANUARY RECAP Awareness: Beyond understanding documents online Around five years after it was published the dancing inclusivity suggestions documents have been updated and is now openly available for everyone to view and download for the first time. These documents provided understanding and suggestions for dancers hidden differences become more inclusive and not a disadvantage. Originally the documents were exclusively for the dancing organisations Latinmotion (Birmingham based) and Mambo City (London based) and the autistic awareness audiences online via Anna Kennedy Online Visit the Embrace Dancing page for details and to view and download each document Dancing inclusivity projects featured My two dancing inclusivity developments including the online project "Inclusive to Dance" and the publications "Beyond Understanding" were featured in January on the official Latinmotion social media Creative: Awareness visual language As part of transforming my awareness initiative (Plus Value Awareness) a new family of visual presentation. This new visual design includes a creative language and is used to replace colour coding systems to identify specific difficulties and areas of hidden differences. See under in progress section of this article for details Creative: Interactive Touch point organiser Into the New Year's I have actively used an interactive touch point organiser which was designed and developed by myself when volunteered for Latinmotion's NYE Fest. Find out more by visiting the Creative pages Participation: Celebration surprise On New Year's Day, I made a special hosting surprise for Latinmotion's NYE Fest as the organisation behind the event has completed 30 years. Watch out for video extracts soon. IN PROGRESS Awareness & Creative: Transforming awareness features Over on my awareness website, I have started to transform two awareness features into one integrated feature. This affects the existing features Awareness Focus & Understanding Series. The changes incorporate a redesign and a new family of visual language designs (mentioned earlier in this article). Watch out for extracts on the new changes soon In the meantime visit the information webpages explaining the new changes over on the Plus Value Awareness website. Also visit the New Awareness Focus index on the Plus Value Awareness to see how the new style design presentation is implemented online. Watch out for all my developments here on this website & updates by following me on social media
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The dancing awareness and suggestions publication is now openly available to everyone Since 2019 a family of publications was developed and created awareness understanding and provided suggestions to make sure that dancers with head dippers are not disappointed when attending classes workshops events and conventions. The documents were originally limited to the leaders and key crew members of the Birmingham base salsa dancing organisation Latinmotion. Then in 2022, these documents were updated to include volunteering suggestions for participating in dancing conventions living with hidden differences. This was initially shared to Birmingham’s Latinmotion and London’s Manbo City linked with the NEC summer convention MotionCity. Then in the same year, these were featured online for the autism awareness audiences on the website of one of the UK's most respected awareness campaigns with Anna Kennedy OBE. Now being openly available for everyone for the first time the documents have been rewritten and updated. This was developed to make sure more people involved in dancing are aware of factors which every needs to consider to enable inclusivity. In addition, the updated documents are a response to the concerns of experiencing unpleasant amounts of discrimination and ableism. The specially written publication provides insight on the challenges of an independent person with hidden differences in specific partner dancing environments like Salsa Bachata, Kizomba, Cuban Salsa and many more. The documents also provide a variety of solutions and suggestions to make sure a person with hidden can able to maintain a positive experience without compromising situation which can affect their presence Why this was created Despite the dancing environments having a variety of people with different backgrounds, I have observed and experienced many situations when some people with hidden differences can be at a disadvantage and in some cases become discouraged. Especially if there's little or no ground-level understanding provided. These documents are designed to enable and improve inclusive environments regardless of the specific difficulties, strengths and any ability and capacity limitations. You can now view and download these documents by visiting the Embrace Dancing webpage Discover more To anyone involved in dancing if you need to benefit from this document and would like additional aspects to spread the word and could benefit your dancing community, organisation, convention & events, get in touch via my LinkedIn profile Notice to editors
Keith Mckenzie With a background in Art and design (including Graphic Design & Digital art) and a participant in music-related film documentaries, events & record label King Of the Beats including filming and behind the scene preparation has been involved with providing awareness projects, campaigns & information for 20 years with the Awareness brand Plus Value Awareness along with Differences Originals. Also are involved with salsa classes and events including participating in two major salsa dancing conventions at Birmingham NEC Plus Value Awareness The Plus Value awareness initiative is a family of projects, information & campaigns about challenges understanding and awareness for people with invisible difficulties, to see more human rather than medical aspects and to promote and educate higher Aspirations. Eventually develop this awareness initiative to provide future potential services, products and social mission activities as part of the umbrella identity Aware+Vision Hidden differences are used to describe independent people who live with specific neurological difficulties or Anxiety that is not noticed. This is associated with moderate or mild psychological and learning-related conditions (including Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD and social Anxiety). During September I took part biggest participation I have been involved with. This is related to planned changes to how his abilities access benefits towards employment. I have attended a consultation meeting and have developed two publications providing guidance and suggestions. This is due to the proposed government bill by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which could not only affect the benefit they receive but also access more people with disabilities into employment. My role is to make sure considerations are made towards neurodivergent (including Hidden Differences) and not face a generalised approach and procedures. This is made with an objective approach related to access disabilities into employment. My role is to represent neurodiversity including those with hidden differences. Consultation meeting I have attended a consultation meeting in Birmingham arranged by the Department for Work & Pensions. The proposal document was used to develop a group of discussion tables. My input was addressing the bigger picture including the challenges that boundaries and important points to consider without making this all variety of disabilities are not a disadvantage. Response publications From the proposal documents by the Department for Work and Pensions, I have developed a series of publications with analysis. The initial version which included personal experiences his were shared two the DWP team at the consultation meeting. Two versions were made including a general analysis from the easy read person of the proposal documents with the second document providing a direct response linked to the proposal document questions. After suggestions from the DWP staff, a general public version of the two analysis and response documents was made. (The public version does not include my personal experiences). Some of the suggestions include embracing disability and neurodiversity in the same way that other diverse members of Society are approached. A suggestion of stronger joined-up thinking to make sure all disabilities including neurodiverse are not a disadvantage when visible in Society. Embracing ambitious people who are talented and have many positive qualities. Also to widen the overall approach including supporting disabilities to start businesses and to access education and training based on their talent. The featured publications are now available to view online Select the link below. Please note the personal verson of the consultation response documents is not available to the general public and is restricted to staff policies and leaders related to the government and the Department for Work and Pensions. Click here for more on other participation projects Notice to editors
Plus Value Awareness The Plus Value awareness initiative is a family of projects, information & campaigns about challenges understanding and awareness for people with invisible difficulties, to see more human rather than medical aspects and to promote and educate a better sense of value. Eventually develop this awareness initiative to provide in the future potential services, products and social mission activities as part of the umbrella identity Aware+Vision The words hidden differences describe independent people who live with specific neurological difficulties or Anxiety which is not obviously noticed. This is associated with moderate or mild psychological and learning-related conditions. (including a mild form of Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD and Social Anxiety). Keith Mckenzie With a background in Art and design (including Graphic Design and digital art) and a participant in the music film documentary, events & record label project King Of the Beats including filming and behind the scene preparations. Also has been involved with providing awareness projects, campaigns & information for nearly 20 years with the Awareness brand Plus Value Awareness along with Differences Originals. Also are involved with salsa classes and events including participating in a major salsa dancing convention at Birmingham NEC |
AuthorDesigner (graphic design & photography) A participant of king of the beats. Developed awareness project for invisible difficulties Archives
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