Inclusion Is…

Inclusion is not a trophy for participating.

Inclusion is not just representation.

Inclusion is not hand-waving your presence that you are there.

Inclusion is not having pity

Inclusion is not putting other identities down in order to promote yours.

Inclusion is not an unfair advantage over the others.

Inclusion is not dumbing down everything so someone feels better about themselves.

Inclusion is not promoting dependence on others.

Inclusion is not removing all the signs that would offend people.

BUT

Inclusion is making a person feel welcome while reciprocating the welcome.

Inclusion is a wall full of signs that would offend people but gives the occupants the skills to contemplate the value of all of them.

Inclusion is teaching the short person how to use a ladder, and how and where to get one to reach the highest juicy apple.

Inclusion is giving people the chance of ever getting a trophy as much as everyone else.

Inclusion is giving the poor person the ability to get a job and keep it, and to ask themselves why they didn’t have one, to begin with, and make sure they address it accordingly.

Inclusion is giving the person unable to see other means to access printed media.

Inclusion is teaching skills to a person with sensory issues and the means to cope with overstimulation in order to focus on what needs to be done.

Inclusion means creating spaces for the historically disadvantaged for people to learn from their experiences to never let them happen again.

Inclusion is giving the option of providing simplified and direct wording and phrasing in assessments that are not addressing linguistic competence as appropriate.

Inclusion is allowing people to continue with their lives comfortably if they behave in non-harmful, unconventional ways.

Inclusion is creating sensory-friendly spaces or options for visitors.

Inclusion is not just listening passively to your neighbor’s interests and struggles, but reading up on them so you can reciprocate or at least try to reciprocate.

In other words; inclusion is about opportunities. About the starting point and how one is able to race, and not shift the goal posts.

On the other hand, most often it is accepting that the goal posts are not the same as anyone else’s.

And it does not make them any less.