Inclusion means providing equal opportunities and making them accessible. Now, how do we make an opportunity accessible? This can be done by creating an environment that allows a person to utilise its resources to the fullest. Negative attitude towards Inclusion is another barrier in addition to the environmental barriers, be it inclusive education or inclusion in the work place. Change in attitude will come about by increasing awareness amongst educators, employers or anyone working with special needs person; and by providing advice and recommendations to work with special needs children. By doing so, the barriers will be removed and society will be able to see the person, beyond their disability.
For instance, one of the barriers for a non-verbal autistic child is communication. If the child wants to eat his favourite cookies which are kept in a jar which is not accessible to him, he will either show a behaviour that is not functional or he will end up not having the cookie. This has happened because the child is unable to communicate his needs. By training him to use an Alternative form of communication, you provide him with an opportunity to communicate. To make this opportunity accessible, it should be made sure that the Alternative mode of communication is available to the child across all settings throughout the day. Here, creating the right environment will promote Educational Inclusion by further providing him with opportunities to communicate in a group, build friendships and eliminate isolation. This is just one example of making an opportunity accessible. We can see how removing barriers and small modifications to the environment opens doors to different prospects for each and every individual, regardless of their disability, and ‘Embrace the difference’.
