What is Inclusion?
in-clu-sion noun
the act of including: the state of being included
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Inclusion recognizes every individual's right to be treated equally, and to be accorded the same services and opportunities as everyone else. In a school setting, full inclusion involves educating all children in regular classrooms all of the time, regardless of the degree or severity of a disability. Effective inclusion programs take place in conjunction with a planned system of training and supports.
Disability Resources, Inc.
We view inclusion as a value, a set of humanistic beliefs that have been encoded in federal law. These laws clearly reflect that individuals with disabilities are valued members of society. Inclusion is a process through which we discover our similarities, rather than our differences, and we focus on our strengths, not our weaknesses. Inclusion does not reflect a place where special education is provided, but in a larger sense, a way of life and a way of thinking about the future of our children. By providing our children with opportunities to have meaningful relationships and experiences within their family, school, and community lives, we are enabling them to reach their fullest potential as adults.
"My problem isn't how I look. It's how you see me."
New Jersey Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, Basic Rights Manual
Inclusion is part of a much larger picture than just placement in the regular class within school. It is being included in life and participating using one's abilities in day to day activities as a member of the community. Inclusion is being a part of what everyone else is, being welcomed and embraced as a member who belongs. Inclusion can occur in schools, churches, playgrounds, work and in recreation.
Kids Together, Inc.
Inclusion is not just a place a kid goes. I used to kind of think that way, like...if he's in that classroom, with typical kids, THAT is inclusion. But it wasnt. Inclusion is sort of a state of mind, a commitment to educating a child with a disability while seeing them as completely capable individuals with their own strengths within the classroom. A child might be IN a classroom that calls itself Inclusion, but still not really be INCLUDED. Inclusion means someone is taking pains to make him a part of the community within the classroom, and holding him accountable too, to being a member of that community.
Down Blogger