Jennifer: Play and playgrounds are so important for children,
because play is the way that we learn to connect with the world.
At Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration,
we create inclusive playgrounds
and provide workshops for teachers
that help them to understand
the importance of social inclusion.
Katy: Fostering social inclusion for my students
is so important because that gives them
the opportunity to make
our classroom a safe space
and hopefully create a better and more inclusive world.
Jennifer: Let's do the sign for play.
There's play. Who remembers swing? It's very similar.
Like swing, like play.
Yep. It's kind of a front and back.
OK, very good.
Jennifer: So our education program is called
"Together, We Are Able." The design and the intent of the program
is for children to have a candid
discussion around disability,
experience that conversation through play,
and then to sum it up at the end
so that all of those perceptions
and misconceptions are sort of put to rest.
Jennifer: What does the word disability mean to you?
Student: It means that they can't really do lots of things.
They can't do the things that we could do
as a person without disabilities.
Jennifer: Some of the misconceptions
and assumptions that students talk about in that pre-conversation
has to do with how they define disability.
"Well, if you're in a wheelchair,
you can't do anything." That is common.
And there's no judgment—and there can be no judgment—on that with students,
because that is their limited experience.
Student: Well, when I see somebody in a wheelchair,
I kind of feel bad for them,
like they can't really adapt and play with me.
And I think that's really sad.
Katy: During the pre-visit, because
students don't feel like they're being taught or talked at,
they know, "Okay, this is something
that I can learn from.
And here now are some tips and tools
and tricks that I can use."
And then they take off running,
sometimes literally.
Jennifer: That second step is the playground experience,
and that's where we purposefully connect children
together in buddy groups, and then
through play, they can physically
experience everything that we talked about.
The introductions are super important.
You come down to eye level
and we make the connection.
Once they've done that and all
students are comfortable, then they
take their buddy and everybody
explores the playground, and they play.
Jennifer: Everybody come down low.
Rashida: My name is Rashida.
Parker: Hi!
Rashida: My buddy was Parker and we both
had this excitement when we
first met each other.
I introduced myself, he introduced himself.
And then, from that moment on
I held his hand.
He just didn't let go.
Katy: I think it's really important for
students in my class to understand
that this is someone that
you can learn from.
This isn't about you helping someone.
That can be part of it, certainly,
but it's also about what gifts do
both buddies on both ends
have to bring to each other.
Rashida: It makes my heart feel really warm.
I just feel so good.
Students: We like playing with you, Nikka.
Nikka: Yeah.
Teachers: One, Two, Three! Cheese!
Jennifer: And then we come back in and we do
a debrief, or what we call a post-conversation.
And that really is a time for students from the typically-
developing class to synthesize what they experienced.
Jennifer: Raise your hand if you had
a good time getting to know your buddy, right.
Was there anything that this time
with your buddy taught you?
Student: Don't judge a book by its cover,
and everybody's different in their
own way, just to make sure that
everybody's being included.
Jennifer: I like that. We have a lot more
things in common than not.
Katy: I think it's really important
to get kids talking
about inclusivity at a wide level.
My students are going to be
going into a very diverse world.
And the more that they're able
to be inclusive of others,
the better they're going to make
the world around them.
Student: You want to go on the other slide now?
Jennifer: Talk to your principal.
Come up with something small that
you can start with. Maybe it's a
conversation at your staff meeting.
If you're a general education teacher,
find a special ed teacher that would want to partner with you.
Start the conversation.
Katy: If I could see my students
come away from the fourth grade with anything,
I would want them to ultimately be strong allies for others.
As a teacher, nothing would make me more proud.
Students: Yay!