Amidst a global backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives driven by populist movements and increasing resistance to systemic change, many organizations have declared their intention to abandon these commitments. This retreat reflects the persistence of systemic inequities and decades of neoliberal ideological dominance, where calls for inclusion are met with resistance because they fundamentally challenge the neoliberal ethos. Joan Tronto (2023) frames this dynamic within the concept of “Wealth Care,” a deeply undemocratic framework embedding the belief that “what democratic citizens should be most concerned to do is to advocate their interests” (23). Turning toward care-infused practices in organizing offers a powerful antidote: one that reframes democracy as interdependent, relational, and rooted in collective responsibility. In this presentation we argue for a vision of inclusion that not only resists narrow neoliberal framings (Ahmed, 2012) but also reimagines democratic organizing as a practice of transformative care. It builds on insights from disability-(co)led initiatives. Drawing on our ongoing collaboration with an initiative that focuses on structural violence and conflict resolution in disability services—where people with disabilities work as trained peer mediators and co-lead workshops together with their non-disabled colleagues—we explore how inclusive work can emerge from co-caring practices. Originating from the "Cov_Enable: Reimagining Vulnerability in Times of Crisis" project and subsequent follow-up work, we are currently involved in transitioning our learning with this inclusive team into a collaborative follow-up project. Adopting "slow scholarship" and "crip time" approaches (Liddiard et al., 2024; Kafer, 2013), we situate lived experiences of inclusive collaboration and co-creation at the core of our inquiry, challenging the accelerated, output-driven tempos of the neoliberal academy while also drawing on care webs (Piepzna-Samarasinha, 2018) as a framework for imagining collective care practices. Through collective sense-making workshops over the past year, we identified interconnected pairs of caring practices that constitute dimensions of inclusive work: equality and recognition; co-creation and well-being; collective negotiation and choice; trust-building and familiarity; mindfulness and respect; preparation and security; accessibility and information-sharing; flexibility and boundary management. Echoing Tronto’s (1993/2020) call for organizations to evaluate not just what they do but how they do it, our preliminary findings demonstrate that recognizing often unnoticed acts of affordance creation (Dokumacı, 2023) fosters resilient and adaptive forms of organizing. These practices provide insights into advancing disability inclusion in the labor market and beyond, showcasing how democratic collaboration can be reimagined through collective care and solidarity.

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