“Almost all of us will experience some form of impairment at some point in our lives. So talking about it means talking on behalf of everyone.”
A person with a physical, intellectual, visual or hearing disability, or who is of short stature, is capable of learning, participating, sharing and making positive contributions to society, but often society itself, in its desire to include everyone, imposes numerous restrictions, stereotypes, clichés, prejudices, and generalisations that prevent such people from recognising their own abilities.
For this reason, inclusion in education and society is essential to achieving something better, as when everyone has the same beneficial opportunities, they can demonstrate their talents and integrate productively into society.
Inclusion applies not only to those with a particular condition, but also to the various spaces, situations, and spheres of society, for example, at school.
Its aim is to show that being different is okay and there is nothing wrong with it. It does not matter whether these differences were anticipated or arrived unexpectedly; reality can change without warning.
That is why creating a community where everyone has the same opportunities is a challenge that is as difficult as it is profoundly human.
After all, we all have aspirations, skills, and virtues that can contribute to the world around us.
The message I intend to show is called “otherness”. It is a cultural, psychological, and social process through which a group or an individual perceives, defines, and constructs another person as someone different from themselves.
This concept establishes an identity boundary between “us” and “them”. And it can be enriching through diversity, mutual respect, and dignity; it can help us to avoid viewing the differences of people with disabilities as something negative.