Lead at Any Level®

Essential Skills for Inclusive Leaders

Olivia Scales

House Budget: Economic Mobility Highlights

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Last week, the Indiana House of Representatives passed its proposed budget. The budget, also known as House Bill (HB) 1001, allocates funds for a variety of programs. Let’s take a look at how the proposed budget would impact equity and the potential for economic mobility in Indiana.

House Budget Education Supports

Education has been at the forefront of the 2023 legislative session. The primary focus has been on expanding access in a variety of ways. This includes:

  • A 23% increase in non-English speaking program per-student grants 
  • An increase in funding for adult learners by $17M. 

The proposed budget also provides Career Scholarship Account (CSA) program funding at $5k per participant. One of Governor Holcomb’s primary focuses of this session is to eliminate fees for textbooks and curricular materials for K-12 students, which is also included in the proposed budget. 

House Budget Support for Women and Children

There has also been some movement in the area of support for Hoosier women and children. House Bill 1001 provides $5 million for housing support and $8.2 million for maternal & child health.

If passed, the House Budget would increase funding for Indiana’s On My Way pre-K program. This program provides free pre-K for eligible children between the ages of 4 and 5.

House Bill 1001 also doubles funding for sexual assault victims to $4 million.

Mental Health

With the widespread support of Senate Bill 1 in both chambers (a bill that would increase mental health services in Indiana), it is no surprise that the House Budget increased funding for mental health-related programs. Here are some of the highlights.

  • $10M for mental health facility grant for a regional approach to mental health
  • $6.5M to provide reimbursement for services in group home setting
  • $1M each year for suicide prevention; $2M for career and relocation assistance

Welfare and Economic Assistance

The governor also proposed an increase in the Medicaid reimbursement rate. The proposed budget would increase reimbursement for physician services to 90% of medicare by FY 2025. The current reimbursement rate is 83%.

The proposed budget also funds Residential Housing Infrastructure Assistance Program (found in HB 1005) and the state employee pay raises granted by the governor. Additionally, it would double funding for food banks.

What’s Next?

The proposed budget passed through the House and will now go through the same process in the Senate Appropriations Committee. After the Senate creates its version of the budget, the two chambers will reconcile the changes in the budget in the conference committee. Once both chambers agree with the language of the bill, it will be sent to Governor Holcomb to sign.

Accessibility for Blog Posts

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Imagine you’re a marketing intern trying to expand your outreach and engagement with your client base. You spend hours sifting through different blog themes and deciding what subject matter you want to explore. Hours of work later, you are finally ready to make your first post. However, there’s a slight problem: you have not created your post with disability accessibility in mind.

This is exactly what I went through creating my first blog post last week for Lead At Any Level. While I have plenty of experience in legal research and writing, this was my first crack at a more casual form of writing. Amy approached me about some aspects of my article that would present difficulties to those with a visual impairment. Let’s use my mistakes as a learning opportunity. Here are some tips for writing blog posts for accessibility!

Media Accessibility

Pictures and videos can be a great way to supplement the content of your posts. However, you should make sure that the use of media does not create barriers for those with visual or audial impairments.

Color Choice and Contrast

Whether you’re deciding on a blog post theme or adding pictures, it is best to avoid distracting or high-saturation images. Opt for muted tones and high-contrast images. This goes for text as well. The University of Edinburgh recommends a minimum contrast of 4.5:1 or 3.1:1 for large text. It is also crucial to avoid intense graphics and flashing images. These can be triggering for those with epilepsy and other disabilities.

Audio Accessibility

Your blog should not be overly reliant on music and audio effects. In fact, it is best to make them optional. If you include a video in your post, include a transcript! This will ensure that viewers with hearing impairments have a substantially equal experience to those listening to the audio.

Visual accessibility

Pictures are great additions to any blog! They are an opportunity to make your content visually appealing and personable. With that being said, I give you the same warning as the previous tip; do not become overly reliant! Alt tags are an effective way to improve accessibility. 

If you are like me and had no clue what an alt-tag is, it is an alternative text that describes the image being displayed. These are helpful for those who use tools such as screen readers. It is worth noting that these are more than just simple captions. I loved the University of Edinburgh’s description of making alt tags, “a written image of what we see for people who cannot.”

Text and Format Accessibility

There are a few easy changes you can make to your blog to make it easier to view.

Font

You should use size 14 font at the minimum in an easy-to-read font (no wacky fonts!). Avoid italics and blocks of uppercase letters

Text Links

This was one of the pitfalls I had with my first blog post. I included hyperlinks to outside resources. The issue was that I used the same word for two different links. This creates difficulties for those with visual impairments who use a screen reader. Make sure your links are specific and different from each other.

Scannable Content

This tip will make your content more digestible regardless of your reader’s disability status. Having enough white space for readers to differentiate between sections will help with comprehension. You can also look into adjusting your margins and line heights.

Readability

Again, this is an area that will benefit any reader of your blog. The biggest step you can take in this category is to include a read-aloud feature if possible.

Additionally, you should consider having translations available in different languages. This can help your message reach a broader audience!

Intuitive Language

Sometimes less is more! Go with language that feels organic. When using abbreviations or industry jargon, provide clear explanations.

Additional Accessibility Resources

I know I just threw a lot of information at you, but do not fear! There are plenty of resources to help.

Are We Missing Anything?

Are there any tips we forgot to include that you utilize in your writing? How can WE improve? Reach out to us and let us know!

House Bill 1608: Indiana Legislative Update

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LGBTQIA+ issues are front and center in this legislative session in Indiana. This past Monday, February 20th, 2023, the House Education Committee heard House Bill 1608. The bill, known by many as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill, is attracting the attention of many Hoosiers for being similar to anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in Florida.

Bill author Representative Michelle Davis’s (R) intention of the bill is to give parents control over the discussion of gender and sexual orientation in the classroom. The original bill, entitled sexual orientation and gender identity instruction, prohibited teachers and other school staff members from providing instruction to kindergarten through third-grade students on various topics, including gender identity and sexual orientation. However, the bill underwent notable changes following the passage of multiple amendments on Monday.

New Provisions of House Bill 1608

 House Bill 1608 now utilizes the phrase, “human sexuality instruction,” taking out the specific prohibited topics in the original bill. These topics included gender identification, gender fluidity, and sexual orientation. Another new provision of the bill is section 3. Under section 3, only certain students are allowed to be addressed by pronouns or a name inconsistent with their birth certificate. These students are adults, emancipated minors, and children whose parents make a written request granting the school permission. Teachers will be required to report any request for a name or pronoun change from a child outside of these groups. This requirement is under section 4 of the Bill. However, section 5 of the bill creates a loophole in the parental permission provision. Schools would not have the authority to discipline staff members for failing to address students by their preferred names. 

Concerns of Hoosiers

These new provisions have raised several concerns for young Hoosiers and their parents. Trans youth whose parents refuse to consent to a name or pronoun change will be the most impacted. As a result, teachers will be unable to address students by their preferred names. If students request a name change, school employees will report the request to their parents under section 4. Those against the bill said this would force teachers and school staff to “out” their students.

Additionally, section 5 of House Bill 1608 has come under scrutiny. Section 5 runs in direct contrast to the parental permission provision. It states that schools do not have the authority to discipline staff members for choosing to address students by their legal names rather than their preferred names. The bill authors asserted that this provision was necessary to protect teachers’ First Amendment religious rights. However, critics argue this provision is contradictory. Although the author’s goal is to protect parental rights in education, House Bill 1608 would make it permissible to ignore a parent’s wishes. A school staff member with religious objections would have no obligation to call a student by names or pronouns approved by their parents.

What’s Next for HB 1608?

House Bill 1608 passed through its second and third readings on Wednesday and Thursday. So what happens next? Now the bill advances to the Senate. There are possibilities for it to undergo additional amendments through committee hearings. If House Bill 1608 passes through the Senate, Governor Holcomb will have to sign or veto it for it to become law.

Taking a Stand

If you feel strongly about supporting LGBTQIA+ youth in Indiana, it is essential for you to get involved. A great place to start is the Indiana General Assembly’s website. You can read the bill text in its entirety, find out how to contact your legislators, and view the schedule for future bill hearings if you wish to testify.