I was recently at a meeting with the parent of a young lady who has an intellectual disability. During the conversation, this parent told me that Social Inclusion is just like Seat Belts. When I had a thought about it, this comment made complete sense to me.
No we’re not talking about road safety, we are talking about social change.
Can anyone remember when the law changed regarding the compulsory wearing of seatbelts? Surely it was the 80’s, they were crazy days... Would it surprise you to hear that it was in 1971. Furthermore, NSW was the first State in the world to introduce this life saving technology.
38 years later, we take this all for granted. We say, ‘of course you should wear a seatbelt, it saves lives’ however at the time, argument related to the discomfort of wearing a sash. People were concerned that the public would never provide the appropriate buy-in to make it a common practice. Today many people can’t even start the car without buckling up. Myself, I just don’t feel comfortable in the car without a belt on. If I start to drive without a belt on, I instantly know that something is wrong.
We even indoctrinate our kids into this. “We’re not going anywhere unless you’re sitting still, with your belt on!”
Seat belts make sense. Seat belts save lives. We have all come to accept that seat belts are an essential part of driving. So... why is it that when we talk about Social Inclusion we all know it makes sense but just can’t get the buy-in?
We know that everyone has a part to play. We know that building a supportive community is what we all want. We also know that it does not matter if you’re from another country, have different political views, have a disability or simply like to barrack for a different football team. Yet when it comes to ‘buckling up’ on Social Inclusion, we seem to falter.
Social Inclusion is about you making a difference. When it comes to the crunch (or crash) the thing that really matters is if you’re wearing a seatbelt. When it comes to Social Inclusion what really matters is that you’re actually doing something, not just talking about how it’s a good idea.
So what can you do? The first step is to realise that it’s as simple as putting on a seat belt. When you go into the community be aware that others are thinking the exactly the same way. Secondly, help others to see that it can be really easy. If you have a Buddy, go out with your Buddy, have a great time. Show people that to be inclusive is really just about being open and accepting of new things.
Finally, don’t be afraid of talking about it.
“We’re not going anywhere unless you start to include others.”
Mark Trevaskis
Executive Director
