Inclusion & Diversity

The Tapped In approach to inclusion and diversity

Last updated: June 2021

At Tapped In we believe that diversity and inclusion aren’t optional. Everyone is welcome.

 

We want Tapped in to be a welcoming community for people from all backgrounds, beliefs and life experiences. A place where every person feels they belong.

Everyone is respected, supported and appreciated for their uniqueness, diverse talents and being themselves – no matter who they are or where they come from.

First Peoples of Australia are particularly welcome at Tapped In.

 

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

The Tapped In Community

At Tapped in we encourage any and all voices to contribute to and support the message that a life with less or no alcohol is a life to be celebrated.

We appreciate that we’re all unique in how we approach this topic, the way we speak and how we connect and support one another .

We value every voice, every conversation and every contrast in our membership group and at our events.

Being true to ourselves and contributing our different perspectives respectfully and with an open mind makes us all grow.

Our success comes from the sense of belonging we infuse which comes with no judgement, stigma or dogma. It comes through the discussions sparked by people who are all aligned to the ideas we stand by and promote, that living a life with less or no alcohol is a life worth living, and worth living large.

The more thought provoking, the more interesting the chat, the more we learn.

 

For us Diversity means welcoming:

 

People from all over the world, different races, ancestry and religions.

People with different educational backgrounds, disabilities and abilities.

People with different sexual orientations and gender identities.

People who are many years apart in age.

 

The Tapped In commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

The Tapped In community is full of extraordinary individuals. They are non-drinkers, moderate drinkers or gray area drinkers.

They are sober, sober curious or sober seeking newbies.

They are looking to explore, understand and potentially change their relationship with alcohol and/or connect with like-minded individuals for community, connection and support.

The knowledge that comes from such a diverse group of humans makes the groups stronger.

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To keep this going, we ask you to do your best to follow these guiding principles in all our places:

 

Chatting on the Facebook group and other social media

Participating in any online training and other online spaces

Collaborating at face to face events and catch-ups

 

1. Be kind

Be polite, friendly and respectful in every form of communication.

Be mindful of tone of voice. (It’s so easy to misunderstand online chat).

Use GIFs, emojis or bitmoji to help your tone be understood. (If appropriate). Consider video chat if social cues have gone astray.

 

2. Be inclusive

Diversity is about mindset and appreciating differences – be supportive to other people’s beliefs and experiences. Explain any slang, in-house jokes or idioms that might not translate across cultures.

Avoid jargon, acronyms and non-inclusive language.

 

3. Be respectful

All individual contributions are valued. As well as asking for feedback, it’s also useful to give feedback.

If a post or comment doesn’t relate to you, appeal to you or interest you, handle it with respect or ideally choose to scroll on.

Thank others for their advice and tips, even if you don’t necessarily agree with.

 

4. Be generous

We create spaces where people feel comfortable to learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives. Offer to help if you see someone struggling. Pay it forward or suggest someone else who could assist.

Encourage others if you see them struggling but please do not provide unsolicited advice.

 

5. Be open to belonging

Support each other to participate so they feel like they belong. This helps everyone to be more engaged and motivated. You feel a stronger sense of belonging when you participate. Feeling you don’t belong can be tough so start small by connecting with one or two others.

When you feel trusted and respected, you’re more likely to speak freely and voice your opinions.

 

6. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

It’s impossible to know everything about everything. Be open to hearing new opinions and thoughts even when it differs to your own.

In this space of alcohol free living difficult topics can often be raised and discussed. If anything makes you uncomfortable or you find it triggering in any way please leave and/or send me a private message.  This is not a forum for medical advice or therapy.

Remember you can choose whether you take part in a post-discussion or scroll on if it’s a topic you’re not comfortable with.

 

7. Be action orientated and accountable

Take responsibility for yourself.

Don’t message any individual without checking with them first that it’s OK to do so

If you see something that isn’t aligned with this commitment, check in with the person that may be impacted.

None of us are perfect. At one time or another, you may slip up and that’s OK. Owning your mistakes and finding a way forward is what counts.

If you’re approached by another member of the group as having made them feel unwelcome, listen with an open mind and avoid being defensive. Apologise and move on*.

*(Repeated incidents will be addressed separately by Sarah Connelly)

 

8. Be celebratory and provide positive support

At Tapped in we are all about looking on the Upside of drinking less or not at all.  We believe change is much easier and more sustainable if we look to what we’re moving towards, not away from.

This in mind celebrating every success is a critical part of supporting one another.

Please cheer on fellow members

Please notice and aknowledge one anothers  acheivements

Please share you own! So you can get some positive energy too!

 

9. No bullying or hate speech

Every member has the right to feel safe from being bullied and harassed. This includes unwanted and unwelcome words, actions, gestures, or behaviours that make someone feel uncomfortable.

This includes but is not limited to:

Racism or racial/ethnic slurs Sexist or misogynist comments

Homophobic or transphobic comments or slurs Negative comments about people with disabilities

Negative comments or discrimination based on age or family role Discriminatory comments against members of religious groups Deliberate mis-gendering.

Taking a Dogmatic approach or touting ‘the best way’ to do something.

 

10. No exclusivity

Be mindful of the language you use. Strive to use inclusive language at all times.

Always remember all questions are good questions. Allow people to freely say, “I don’t know”, “I don’t understand” or “Why?”.

We don’t all do things the same and there is not ‘one road’ to success.  Each individual has the right to decide what speaks to them and how they want to progress on their journey.

 

Thank you for reading and welcome to our community.