If you’re a parent of a child with a disability, you know precisely why I would ask this question. If you’re not, I can tell you first-hand the tremendous energy parents muster daily to help their children accomplish the most basic tasks, like just getting to school in the morning. On top of that, these same families are forced to deal with public systems that are complex, underfunded, and laden with obstacles and barriers, with educators who don’t always believe in inclusive education and a pile of experts who tell parents what to hope and dream.
When you lay it all out, you must wonder why families endure all this pain and how their children can succeed.
In addition, stories abound of children with behavioural problems whose (sometimes) violent outbursts disrupt the flow of the school day, causing fear and anger for all involved, with many believing that these students don’t belong in the classroom or, at the very least, should be separated from their peers.
Given all this, are we just kidding ourselves that inclusive education is worth it?
Here’s the simple answer: not only is inclusion worth it, but it is also ABSOLUTELY the right thing to do! Here are three reasons why.
EVERY LIFE IS OF EQUAL VALUE
I mean EVERY life. Without exception. This is so important.
Once you apply this in every situation, no matter how simple, complex, or extreme—even violent—your behaviour and attitude will change.
You will begin to shift your mindset away from fear, limits, and constraints and open yourself up to new possibilities.
You will ask yourself, “What’s the most I can do?”
You will begin to see that the person with a disability is NOT different from anyone else. Their approach to the world may be more dramatic, but so what? They want to love and be loved, learn, play, interact with friends, be included, feel safe, and contribute.
Most of all, they are a life force whose purpose and dreams must be realized. We all are.
EVERY PERSON CAN LEARN GIVEN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT
How would you score if you were given a differential calculus exam right now? Probably not well. But is that because you could not learn the concepts or because you were never taught them? Or maybe you hate math, in general!
If we try to assess a student’s skills and abilities, and the results are not as positive or they don’t score as well as expected, should we conclude that they cannot learn? The answer, of course, is NO.
Our conclusion should always be that our teaching could have been more effective. The weakness is the method, not the student. This is a fundamental feature of inclusion.
If the student isn’t successful in learning, we must look for another way to teach them.
Think about yourself and your students as having unlimited capacities. Everyone should be given abundant opportunities to learn, thrive, and fulfill their hopes and dreams. When we stifle human potential, when we exclude people, it hurts us all.
That is the language of Inclusion.
EVERY PERSON MUST BE IN CHARGE OF ALL DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THEIR LIFE
This is the concept of self-determination, the pillar of international law.
Many experts trained in the medical model believe it is their job to decide if the person with the disability has potential or not, driven by the assumption that these persons are not capable of choosing or acting on their own. Some therapists we encountered over the years didn’t feel that our son had any potential for walking and, therefore, didn’t need to be allowed to learn. No one has the moral authority to decide who qualifies to be taught and who will be left out.
Inclusion is a way of living, a philosophy, and a human right. It is not based on someone else’s opinion. Because “sometimes it’s the very people who no one imagines anything of, who do the things that no one can imagine.” (1)
That is why inclusion is worth it!
Michael George is a life leadership coach, writer, and speaker from Saint John, NB. He is a parent of a son born with multiple disabilities and has invested a lifetime in helping his son become the person he is meant to be.
(1) From the 2014 Film, "The Imitation Game"
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