Social change package (landing page)

Overview

The purpose of this package is to help motivate and support WILAA in addressing the issues that hinder students with disabilities while participating in work-integrated learning. We first identify a number of calls to action that were raised by students with disabilities in AcTinSite’s Design Charrette. For each one, we have developed an action brief that aims to clarify more specific problem areas as well as different pathways for intervention. 

Each action brief is structured by a decision tree that outlines three different stages along with resources to direct WILAA’s path between them. 

1. Solution agnostic: In the first stage, the problem associated with the call to action is captured at a broad, abstract level. 

Ex. I am hungry 
 

2. Solution specific: The second stage identifies more specific problem areas and begins to articulate some solutions while remaining partially abstract. 

Ex. I should make breakfast 
 

3. Deployment specific: The final stage offers some examples of specific, concrete tactics to achieve the desired outcomes described in the previous stage.  

Ex. I will make pancakes 

To move from the solution agnostic stage to the solution specific stage, we offer some considerations that aim to clarify WILAA’s primary goals and guide the selection of a more specific problem area. 

To move from the solution specific stage to the deployment specific stage, we have developed a worksheet with more in-depth questions that assess members’ skills, knowledge, relationships, and goals. This is intended to encourage reflection and decision-making within the group, and ultimately help WILAA to develop a plan of action. 

Finally, following the deployment specific stage, we have assembled a toolkit with resources surrounding how to implement a number of specific tactics. These tactics are not a comprehensive list of options, but rather a starting point from which WILAA members can consider the best course of action. 

Theory of Change 

This package incorporates elements from AcTinSite’s Theory of Change, which focuses on “multilevel, bottom-up” processes where changes in patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and social relationships among individuals underlie changes in organizations, industries, communities, regions, or even nations, including their social structures and formal/informal institutions. 

To create change, this framework identifies three important factors: 

• Motivation – Getting onboard using new knowledge and skills. 
• Capacity – Learning, mentoring, and supporting new knowledge/skills. 
• Opportunity – Creating spaces where people can practice and use their new knowledge and skills. 

Motivation, Capacity, and Opportunity therefore frame this action brief. The action brief’s goal is to inspire WILAA to engage with these three elements when approaching a call to action.