Challenges To Inclusion In Our
Times
Darcy Elks And
Michael Kendrick
Use Only With Permission Of The Authors
Challenges To Inclusion In Our Times
• Societal Context
• Social Inclusion Is Poorly Defined And Many Are
Confused About What It Really Is Or Ought To
Be
• Lots Of Rhetoric And Very Little Corresponding
Practice To Match The Appealing Nature Of The
Talk
Use Only With Permission Of The Authors
Challenges To Inclusion (Cont.)
• Despite Official Support For Inclusion Many
Segregated And Congregated Programs Exist And
Incentives Are Given To Use Them
• Inclusion Has Often Been Done Poorly And So
People Have Dismissed It As Being A Credible
Possibility i.e. Social Inclusion Done Well
• Too Often There Is A Void Of Leadership On This
Issue, Particularly When It Is Most Needed
Use Only With Permission Of The Authors
Challenges To Inclusion (Cont.)
• Social Inclusion Is A Many Sided And Complicated
Reality And Over Simplifying What Is Involved May
Cause Difficulties
• At Least Some Families May Take Social Inclusion
For Granted And Get Too (relaxed) Complacent
• Advocates Can Get Worn Down Fighting This And
Other Issues And Not Press The Case For Inclusion
Well Enough
Use Only With Permission Of The Authors
Challenges To Inclusion (Cont.)
• In Recent Years There Is A Noticeable
Weakening Of Institutional Commitment And
Support For Good Quality Social Inclusion
• There Is A Degree Of Failure To Properly Learn
From Both Better And Worse Experiences With
Social Inclusion
• There Is Growing Concern In Some Circles That
There May Be “A Rolling Of The Clock Back”
Use Only With Permission Of The Authors
Challenges To Inclusion (Cont.)
• The Way Forward On Social Inclusion, Given the
Substantive Challenges Involved, Is Poorly Spelled
Out By The Current Champions Of And Leaders On
Social Inclusion
• The Profound Benefits Of Social Inclusion (Done
Well) Are Too Often Trivialized Or Are Much Too
“Under Appreciated”
• The Goal Of Social Inclusion Gets Much Greater
Emphasis Than The Means To Achieve It, Thereby
Leaving It Vulnerable To Being Merely A Sentiment
Rather Than A Strategy