What is inclusion? Thinking differently…
Now we have thought about your part in this agenda this Step is a chance to challenge your own thinking about inclusion. Traditionally, when we thought about inclusion we tended to focus on adapting provision for the child or young person with additional needs. However, we have now begun to realise that a whole setting approach to inclusion is much more meaningful and effective.
FREDA
For example…
Lets imagine you are taking the young people you work with to a football match one day in the holidays. Freda who is 11 is in a wheelchair and is very keen on football. However, the barriers round the pitch mean that when sat in her wheelchair she can’t see the match.
There are at least 4 ways of tackling this challenge:
- 1. Cancel the trip
- 2. Have someone with Freda to tell her what is happening at the game
- 3. Set up a ramp so that Freda can see the game
- 4. Find an area of the pitch where everyone including Freda can watch the game because the barriers are lower
Many of us rush to option 3 – and this is a ‘reasonable adjustment’ – more of this later. However, the truly inclusive answer is option 4 – to find a solution that works for everyone.
