MODULE 2: Steps towards an inclusive culture
2. Developing an inclusive mindset Input: Inclusion starts in our minds. An inclusive mindset is crucial for managing diversity and building a genuine culture of inclusion that is shared by both team and participants. This way, a group’s diversity becomes its strength as well as a rich source of potential. Reflection: What does “inclusive mindset” mean to you? What do you need to do in order to develop it? Input: For a youth worker or facilitator, it is impor- tant to maintain inner readiness and an open mind when working with diverse, mixed-abili- ty groups. This includes recognising your own concerns or fears about possible difficulties; being able to share them constructively with your team of facilitators or organisers; being patient with a different group dynamics and accessibility needs; and being open to chal- lenging your own stereotypes about disability. For example, an inclusive mindset and readi- ness to engage in inclusion work may require attitudes and competences such as an appreciation of and respect for diversity an appreciation of differences (different abilities, capacities, qualities, even values and experiences) empathy (and an understanding of its limits) a proactive attitude (inclusion is based on proactivity) and response to identified needs seeing the person behind the disability an awareness of disability stereotypes and prejudices an ability to self-monitor for unconscious stereotyping or stigmatisation of partici-
3. Multitude of individual differences – Mixed-ability groups
Input: While organising and facilitating an interna- tional youth meeting, you never know who you will meet. Often you are unfamiliar with the meeting environment or the venue. As a result, you won’t have that one perfect solution for your group, especially if it is a mixed-ability group – that is, in the context of international youth work, a group of young people with and without disabilities. SALTO-YOUTH Inclusion defines a mixed-abil- ity group as one that provides “positive expe- riences of working, playing and simply being together, when breaking down barriers and taking on challenges”. 13 An inclusive mixed-ability group reflects di- versity in society. It means creating and main- taining a space where everyone’s needs are met so that all young people, not just those with disabilities, can take part. Working with a mixed-ability group is inclusion in action. A mixed-ability approach recognises that all young people have different abilities and may need support so they can be fully involved. Working with mixed-ability groups can be
pants’ disabilities or differences (attribut- ing characteristics or traits to participants which are not necessarily accurate) an openness to introducing adaptations at different stages of the project and to maintaining flexibility creativity and resourcefulness (often just as important as funding or accessibility) tolerance of ambiguity (an ability to per- ceive and endure new and conflicting information) role distancing/de-centring the self (an attempt to see ourselves from the outside that allows us to question our norms, prej- udices and stereotypes while maintaining values that are key to our identity and cannot be negotiated) using rights-based disability and diversi- ty-aware inclusive language resisting quick judgements and conclu- sions about participants (e.g., about their capacity) self-questioning and self-reflection reframing perceptions and feelings. Activity: Empathy and de-centring the self (for groups of four or five people) è Activity 2.2. Videos: Short video on what is empathy (vs. sympathy) by Brene Brown https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw “All that we share” on people’s diversity, ap- preciating it and seeing beyond the “boxes” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD8tjhVO1Tc Why does tolerance of ambiguity matter and how to develop it? https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CxrTAVtKH-E
perceived as a new way of looking at an inter- national youth work event, non-formal educa- tion activity or training course. A key aspect of inclusivity is that not everybody has to do the same thing to contribute. It is fine to do things in different ways to achieve the desired out- comes (as long as the groups are not divided by type of impairment). Building a truly inclusive mixed-ability group (remember, inclusion is a process!) requires careful planning and preparation. The group will not be inclusive if all you do is invite young people with disabilities to join an existing group of young people without disabilities without acknowledging the individual needs of all participants. Reflection: Reflecting in groups or individually: When working with diverse or mixed-ability groups, what situations do I find most difficult? Input: What could help you to work with mixed-abil- ity groups? See disabilities as different learning and/ or participation styles Focus on strengths and abilities (keeping in mind participants’ limitations) Imagine a mixed-ability activity as a train- ing course involving different learning or participation styles with varying levels of knowledge, speed, ways of collecting and interpreting information, and contributing. In mixed-ability groups, young people with disabilities have different starting levels and needs. This means that to achieve equality within such a group, we must pursue an equi-
13 SALTO-YOUTH Inclusion (2008): No Barriers, No Borders – a practical booklet for setting up international mixed-ability youth projects
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