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issue 2 january-february 2005
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by george

All individuals are a part of this world, and should be part of everything that happens in it. However, historically, the tendency has been to create programmes, processes and activities presuming that only the fittest would use them. As a result, a lot of people have not had the opportunity to develop their true potential.

Take, for instance, persons with disabilities. This unconscious neglect starts from birth. Parents of children with disabilities neglect or miss out on vital inputs of growth. Most importantly, the child is shut out from mainstream education. At the age of 21-22, young adults – not having been given the opportunity to be educated holistically – are categorised as not suitable for any work. What a difference it would make if systems had been designed such that children with disabilities could become part of the processes and activities around them. This is possible only in an inclusive world, a world which embraces inclusive education.

Exclusion dents the self-reliance of any person, whether disabled or not. Inclusion teaches them how to participate and contribute. Children grow up to be productive and self-reliant citizens. We have to build a culture of inclusion where all children grow up understanding disability. This is empowering not only for the disabled child but also for those around him.
The time has come for us to move towards an inclusive world, where there is space for all. Not by right, struggle or fight, but by design.

George Abraham
Editor, beyond the I

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