What is inclusion?

Hi, Zoe here from the NDIA. Today we’re at Council for Intellectual Disability annual conference. This is a great conference because it’s organised by people with intellectual disability, for people with intellectual disability.
One of the key themes of the conference is inclusion. That’s a really important thing to us at the NDIA for delivering the NDIS.
But what is inclusion? And why does it matter? Let’s go into the conference and talk to some of the people attending to find out what inclusion means to them.

The word inclusive means including everybody with disability, no matter what disability, because I think everybody with a disability has a unique talent to be included.

Inclusive means to me helping people to speak up, no matter what the issue is.

It means actually having an ordinary life. It means being able to do the things that you want to do, when you want to do them, without fear, without concern that there will be blockages.

Can you give me an example of being included?

Our peer support group is inclusive and a friendly environment. Anybody can come to join.

My inclusiveness is being included in the Penrith Council and being included in Government department committees, being accepted as a person with disability.

Going into the community, changing the face, going to councils and really work on what sort of programs should be available for people with disability.

What can people do in their everyday life to be more inclusive?

Really help people to speak up as much as they can. We really focus on people’s disability, they have a voice.

Often, they will be scared of others, so try and encourage them to be the person that they are.

I think not to be scared. To actually see that the person is a human just like you and I. That they have challenges, we have challenges, they just are different challenges.

I know often it’s very difficult because having intellectual disability, not everybody looks the same as everybody else. Often we don’t get included because they overlook us as if we’re not important. For a long time it’s been happening, and it’s very good to see what’s happening now with inclusion, that they are including us and not just excluding us any more.

So don’t be scared of engaging and talking and seeing the person as a person, over and above everything else.

Wow. What great answers from our questions about inclusion. Inclusion is really important to the NDIA to make sure that we deliver the NDIS successfully for all Australians with disability. If you’d like to know more about the NDIS, you can head to our website. WWW.NDIS.GOV.AU