Social Inclusion in the Middle Level | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Social Inclusion in the Middle Level | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Social Inclusion in the Middle Level

By Special Olympics Project UNIFY on May 23, 2013

This article was originally published by NASSP, which is building a partnership with Project UNIFY and is currently a member of LFA
By Andrea Cahn and Betty Edwards
When you see me, I want you to see that we are alike.
When you see me, I want you to see that I get nervous sometimes.
When you see me, I want you to see a happy dancer.
When you see me, I want you to see a football player.
When you see me, I want you to see someone who tries to be a good friend.
The statements above are from It’s Our School, Too, a play reflecting poignant quotes and perceptions of students who for far too long have felt excluded from the fabric of the school—those with intellectual disabilities. Written by Suzy Messerole and Aamera Siddiqui and commissioned by Special Olympics Project UNIFY®, It’s Our School, Too! is based upon interviews with youth from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and members of Special Olympics Project Unify Youth Activation Committee. The play provides insight into the world of students with intellectual disabilities and the varying opportunities they have to be an integral part of the school.
Identified as a significant civil rights issue, social inclusion speaks to the needs of all youth to learn and live within an environment that recognizes their strengths and contributions while providing opportunities for them to be active members of the school community. Federal