If you work with disabled people I feel it is important to understand where your workplace is when accepting disabled people:

Integration

1. your workplace accepts the disabled person into the space, your workplace has built awareness of the persons disability and workers attempt to ‘teach’ the disabled person how to behave like others.
2. Your workplace or workers are at hand to tell them when they are doing something wrong ie it is not the right way because non-disabled people do not do that, so you show them how to do it the same way as everyone else.
3. Your workplace or workers continually encourage policies to ensure everyone can live in harmony and follow the same rules as this is important to ensure everyone has the same sanctions and praise.
4. Your workplace and workers encourage the disabled person to follow the same route, rules and policies as everyone else, with a bit of help and punishment as they should have no problem doing so… and if the disabled
   Person doesn’t quite get it straight away – the workplace will find a way to ensure all the other workers do not copy the disabled person getting it ‘wrong’ by ensuring their is a policy in place to sanction the people who do not follow the ‘rules’
5. Policies and rules apply to all although the disabled person may be given more reminders and more patience – overall they still need to adhere to everything a non-disabled person can
6. Awareness training is seen as a way to ensuring everyone is aware why things may be more difficult for the disabled person but, overall the disabled person needs to follow the same as non-disabled people
7. Decisions are made by the workplace without the input of the disabled person, their feelings and voice is missing
8. Educational opportunities are the same for everyone and the child/young person stays in the class, with help from a TA/LSA, and they need to complete the same work as non-disabled children/young people

Inclusive

1. Your workplace identifies the person’s disability as being ‘different’ to others that work in the same space
2. Your workplace and workers accept the persons disabilities and ensures both their needs and strength are identified and provisions are in place
3. Your workplace and workers ACCEPT the difficulties and strengths of the disabled person
4. Your workplace doesn’t rely solely on ‘awareness’ training of disabilities as such, because the disabilities are not the core of what makes the individual who they are – they accept the ‘disability’ and the workers focuses on the individual’s strengths (whilst accepting some things may never be done the same way as everyone else)
5. By accepting the disability and the person, they actively arrange differences in ‘rules’ and ‘policies’ to ensure there is an opportunity for the individual with disabilities to thrive
6. The workplace and workers arrange differences in what is available and what is expected
7. The workplace and workers ensure the disability is at the forefront of decisions
8. Educational opportunities are tailored to the individual with disabilities, they are offered alternative ways of learning. Whilst these cannot always be offered in the classroom, they are taken out of the class in an enriched environment to have a differential curriculum

There are lots of opportunities to ensure a workplace and workers are INCLUSIVE.
Integration is the first part of being inclusive, but accepting a disabled person will not always be the ‘same’ as non-disabled people is so important.

Accepting a disabled person will need ‘difference’ because they are ‘different’ is part of an inclusive workplace.

If you ‘worry’ others may feel a disabled person will be perceived by others as ‘getting away’ with things, then encourage your workplace and workers to understand why the person needs things to be ‘different’

We spent so much time sharing & promoting ‘autism awareness week’ ‘mental health awareness week’ ‘ADHD awareness week’ dyslexia awareness week’ ‘genes for genes day’ which is amazing

But disabled people live every day, every week and every moment of their lives with their disability, do not share awareness weeks unless you are willing to ACCEPT the disability and the person who has the disability.

Integration is not enough, it will always lead to the disabled person being viewed as less or perceived as being ‘getting away with things’ or a ‘problem’

Inclusiveness means disabled individuals can actually be part of the systems in society and they are seen to be equals

Acceptance is more than awareness. Awareness begins to change the mindset but acceptance allows disabled people to feel loved, wanted and this is the first step to meeting their needs.

Only WE can change how a disabled person is viewed and accepted in society

It’s starts with YOU

(Written by Lisa Lynch – Links 4 Alliance / SensationalYOU)

Disabilities #Acceptance #Inclusive #Integration #Autism #ADHD #Trauma #PTSD #MentalHealth #DownsSyndrome #Turners #Goldberg #RareGenetics