Words by Emma Carruthers EDI Manager 

This year’s theme for National Inclusion Week is ‘Impact Matters,’ which creates the opportunity for us to highlight the work that CIHT is doing  in our pursuit of genuine inclusion across the highways and transportation profession.

Inclusion is  one of our overarching themes, and as individuals we may have considered what inclusion means as it can have varying meanings. Inclusion can mean actively ensuring that everyone feels included, respected, and valued at every stage of their journey, as well as helping to nurture creative and innovative approaches to our everyday work practice, along with how we approach urgent and complex environmental and social challenges. Inclusion within the workplace and professional membership bodies is critical to a connected and thriving society, as we are much more likely to become attuned to the perspectives and aspirations of the communities we serve.

CIHT is proactively working towards inclusion, yet we are also focussing on diverse representation within our membership, governance and across the wider sector. We believe that all individuals should be valued equally and are pleased to see that this mindset is being integrated into our professional practices regardless of individual roles. By consistently practising inclusion, we can make a meaningful and sustained impact that benefits everyone.

This week, we also reflect some of our recent inclusion related activity:

Our Policy & Technical team launched the ‘Creating a Public Realm for All Report,’ a great foundation for the work that can and should be done in this area.

We hosted our first CIHT EDI Charter Signatory Network forum - a community that shares good practice around shifting the dial on EDI. 

Our e-learning platform CIHT Learn continues to expand its course catalogue that includes modules ranging from ‘Designing highways and transportation for people with dementia’, to an ‘Introduction to stakeholder and public engagement’ and much more. 

The entries for the CIHT Awards demonstrate a clear upward trajectory in terms of demonstrable commitment to and practice of inclusion, as well as the clear benefits to entrant organisations and communities, both within the EDI category and beyond, along with regional, national, and international committee awards.

Our regional and national committees, international and other groups continue to play a huge role in embedding inclusion locally, from leading technical events and webinars that apply a lens of inclusion, to leading specific EDI- themed activities and events – while refining their committee’s collective approach to mainstreaming inclusive professional practice.