On a regular baa disability within my
sis, we face change.
sphere of influence or
responsibility.
We’re constantly having to adjust to new
When my son,
technology, new rules,
Benjamin, was five,
or new situations.
we signed him up for
And the “new”—even
Revolutionary Common Sense by Kathie Snow
T-ball through our
though it may be good
www.disabilityisnatural.com
local Parks and Recand/or helpful—may
reation department. I
often be inconvenient initially, but it soon becomes
expected some resistance. I felt sure the coach had no
ordinary.
experience with a child who used a wheelchair. When
Take cell phones, for example. Having the ability
the coach called our home to confirm Benjamin’s
to communicate while on the go is good; having to
registration, he said—in words that seemed to have
figure out how to use the darn thing correctly (both
a hard time coming out of his mouth—“We’ve never
the technology and the rules for courteous use) can be
done anything like this before.” I’m sure he couldn’t
inconvenient. I just want to make calls; I don’t want to
even imagine what this would look like—much less
learn about all the “options.” But I must take the time
feel confident about doing it—and he probably felt
and make the effort in order to use the phone correctly.
my son’s participation would throw a kink (be an
Once I’ve mastered this inconvenience, I’m familiar
inconvenience) in his usual methods of coaching.
with the technology and it becomes ordinary.
Anticipating his resistance, I was prepared to defend
my son’s right to participate, and to quote chapter
The same can be true about the inclusion of
and verse from the Americans with Disabilities Act
people with disabilities in schools, jobs, and ordinary
(ADA). But common sense came to my aid, and incommunity activities. The idea of a child being instead of reacting defensively, I responded in a friendly
cluded in a general ed classroom, an adult becoming
manner with, “We’ve never done this either—we’ll
employed in a real job, or a child/adult participating
learn together!” Those words sent a positive message
in a community activity is often rejected by the Gateof partnership, instead of an adversarial message about
keepers, and a multitude of reasons for the rejection
“rights” or discrimination.
may be offered. In many cases, the rejection is based
Once we learned—together—how to ensure
on the belief that it would create an inconvenience.
Benj could play T-ball with the help of easily-achieved
For example, it might be considered inconveaccommodations, the perceived inconvenience was
nient to modify the curriculum to meet a student’s
quickly replaced by an ordinary routine. Benj’s coach,
needs, to provide accommodations for a job, or to
along with the other coaches, players, parents, and
make alterations to the community activity so that
spectators, learned how easy it was to include a child
all can participate. But like other perceived inconvewho used a wheelchair. The lessons learned could later
niences, once the “new” occurs on a regular basis, it
be applied to others with disabilities or differences.
becomes familiar and ordinary.
The only way to make inclusion happen is to do
We shouldn’t be surprised when inclusion isn’t
it! There’s really no “getting ready” for anyone! Not for
easily achieved. After all, it’s a new and unknown
a T-ball coach, an employer, a school teacher; nor for a
experience for many people—whether they’re public
child or adult with a disability. Everyone is ready, right
school teachers, employers, church members, or anynow. Just do it! Only then will the “inconvenient”
one else. Many, if not most, new experiences are met
become the “ordinary.”
with hesitation, trepidation, and maybe even rejection.
It’s kind of like riding a bicycle. The first time
Furthermore, what did you know about children or
you perched precariously on the seat of a bicycle, no
adults with disabilities before you became personally
one helped you “get ready.” Your parents didn’t sit you
involved with disability issues? I knew nothing; I could
down and teach you about the dynamics of movement
have been a teacher or a Scout leader or an employer
or balance or steering, and they probably didn’t even
who rejected the notion of including a person with
From Inconvenient
To Ordinar y
2 - From Inconvenient to Ordinary
When we signed Benjamin up for T-ball, we
didn’t sign him up as a “child with a disability” or
tell you how to do it. They helped you sit on the seat,
a “special needs child.” (Gag!) We signed him up
told you where to place your feet and hands, and off
as “Benjamin, a five-year-old kindergartner.” His
you went. Like many other things in life, you learned
classmates were excited about playing team sports;
by doing. Inclusion—whether in school, at a job, or
Benjamin wanted to do what his friends were doing.
in a community activity—is the same: we learn by
We were determined to ensure our son lived an ordidoing.
nary life; his disability is irrelevant in the big picture!
Becoming successful in riding a bicycle began
Only after Benj was signed up did we talk to the
with a positive belief. Even if you didn’t believe you
coach about what accommodations and supports were
could ride your bike, your parents did! So it is with
needed for Benj and his coach to be successful.
inclusion in any setting. Inclusion is, first and foreThere’s no doubt that one day—and I hope it’s
most, a state of mind. If you believe a person with a
within my lifetime—inclusion in all areas of society
disability will be, can be, should be included, it will
will be achieved. Inclusion will become the rule
happen. Having a vision of inclusion will lead to the
(ordinary), instead of the exception (inconvenient).
reality of inclusion.
This will not occur as a result of
This doesn’t mean it will alTo believe in something
legislation (we already have laws
ways be easy (but it’s often easier
not yet proved and
that prohibit discrimination based
than you think). I’m always shocked
to underwrite it with our lives: on disability—but they’re not alwhen, during a presentation on
ways followed). Also, inclusion will
it is the only way
inclusion, someone in the audience
not
occur as a result of widespread
we can leave the future open.
denounces the idea with anger or
training of educators, employers,
Lillian Smith
sarcasm, “Well, you make it sound
or others. I’ve met educators who
so easy!” I don’t understand that athave attended numerous inclusive
titude. Are we justified in not doing something just
ed conferences, yet they still embrace segregation. This
because it may be hard? Learning to ride a bicycle may
doesn’t mean training is of no value, it just means we’re
have been difficult, but we did it anyway! The same
fooling ourselves if we think inclusion can be achieved
is true for countless situations. Shouldn’t we put the
only when people are trained in its practice.
same effort into ensuring a person with a disability
In pockets here and there, inclusion is successfully
is able to live a bountiful and ordinary life as a fullyimplemented because parents, educators, employment
participating, included citizen?
specialists, employers, and others are making the
The greatest barrier to inclusion is not a person’s
conscious decision to do it (even when they’re not sure
disability, but societal attitudes and perceptions (inexactly how to make it happen). They do whatever it
cluding our own, in many cases). The solution is to
takes to ensure success, sometimes taking two steps
“present” inclusion as an ordinary occurrence, instead
forward and one step back. But they never give up,
of a right, an entitlement, or even a favor. Everyone
even when the going gets tough. These brave souls
is born included! Inclusion is the natural state of bepractice determination and a positive attitude as they
ing, while segregation is the unnatural, artificial state!
fine-tune the process of making accommodations,
Inclusion is a moral and ethical issue—and goes way
meeting an individual’s needs, and more. They learn
beyond a legal entitlement. And inclusion will more
by doing. In the process, the inclusion of children and
readily be achieved when a person is presented as an
adults with disabilities evolves from an inconvenient
ordinary human being—not as a “special” person and
to an ordinary occurrence. I’m ready for inclusion to
not even as “a person with a disability”!
become a reality, aren’t you?
©2002-07 Kathie Snow; all rights reserved. You may photocopy to share with others (in its entirety), as a handout. Please share how/when you
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