It's National Inclusion Week!
National Inclusion Week - 26 September to 2 October.
Inclusion means representation, equal opportunities, and recognising and tackling prejudice. Inclusion means creating a culture where it isn’t acceptable for someone to be left behind just because a space hasn’t been made accessible for them, or because they don’t feel like the type of person who can get involved. It means tackling prejudice – prejudice that can be so deeply ingrained that it’s hard to see it unless you’re the one experiencing it.
Why are some people excluded?
It’s essential that we all think about how we can create a culture of inclusivity – it might seem like we shouldn’t need to think about this, perhaps it seems obvious that everyone should have equal opportunities. But if we take a realistic and practical approach we can start to recognise the social and historical challenges different people meet. Throughout history and throughout all kinds of society, different groups of people who have faced abuse, subjugation, and exclusion. This could be because of a disability, ethnicity, sex, gender or sexual orientation, any group that has been discriminated against or subjugated. People often face a mix of different, overlapping challenges.
It seems ridiculous that someone could be treated differently because of something like their gender, religion, or just the colour of their skin… but it is still happening.
Why does inclusion matter?
The history of discrimination casts a long shadow, but we can do better. Access, representation, and opportunity should be inbuilt for everybody. Employers, schools, anyone creating a space where people come together have an exciting opportunity to create a culture of diversity, equality, equity, and inclusivity. When not everybody is represented, everybody is missing out.
Some of the language and ideas about inclusion can be difficult to understand, but here are some useful resources if you'd like to know more:
