When I see the word "inclusion" I think of children and people with mixed abilities, studying and playing and working all together. This means giving children the opportunity to grow up in an environment where they are all equal to each other, those with physical and intellectual disabilities and those without disabilities, living side-by-side.
In Malta, although we have inclusive schools, one area inclusion is missing is when it comes to extra-curricular activities after school. This happens in sports, performing arts and other leisure activities, where especially children with intellectual disabilities have activities that are only for them. Although some parents choose this, as they prefer to keep their child safe and want to give their child the opportunity to meet with other children who are like them, this is not inclusion.
I was lucky enough to see true inclusion happening when I went on an Erasmus to London to work at an inclusive theatre in London called Chickenshed (https://www.chickenshed.org.uk/), which caters for everyone from different social backgrounds, ethnic groups, skin colours and physical and intellectual disabilities. I was volunteering in the performances for children and in one of the performances it was the birthday of a girl with Cerebral Palsy. We were all singing Happy Birthday to her when a little boy from the audience, who didn't have a disability, came up to me and asked me to put her on her lap which I did. And he gave her a huge hug! Another time was in Malta where I took part in a mixed-ability show called Automaniacs, as part of the Ziguzajg Festival for Children and Young People (https://www.ziguzajg.org/automaniacs/). The cast included four of us with a intellectual disabilities, and four with no disability. The audience had small children who did not have disabilities themselves, who were laughing away and loved the show. A little girl even came up to me after the show and told me that she wanted to be like me when she was big! The only way we can make society change is by starting with little children. This can be done if we are willing to take the risk. I hope that the generation after mine will.
For further discussion, join us for the next Girls2Leaders webinar which will address the topic of inclusion and will be held on the 27th of July at 17:00hrs. To participate you are kindly requested to register through the following link - https://bit.ly/3tHbugE.
The Girls2Leaders Campaign is a collaboration between Business and Professional Women (Valletta) Malta and the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society using as a roadmap BPW's Charter of the Girls' Rights. The campaign is being produced by members of the Children & Young Persons' Council within the MFWS and the Young BPW Europe.