Well beyond education, schools offer an environment that supports social interaction and strong friendships. It’s therefore extremely important that such institutions provide accessible spaces for those with disabilities—without them, how can friendships between those with and without special needs ever flourish?
But simply creating accessible spaces won’t quite do the trick; active steps are needed to create inclusive friendships. Consider organizing events like these in your school:
- Accessible Kick Ball Games: Allow both those with and without disabilities to choose to either be a “Kicker” or a “Runner”, thereby not singling out a person who might have a mobility impairment.
- Sit With Someone New Lunch: Hand out different colored pieces of paper to all of the students and have them sit at an assigned table, allowing people to meet those they haven’t interacted with before.
- Inclusive Theater: Plan a school-wide production that features both individuals with and without disabilities. This not only widens the “talent pool”, but provides an informal setting in which students spend a lot of time getting to know one another.
I CONSIDERED WAYS TO MAKE MY SCHOOL MORE INCLUSIVE
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