Inclusion Makes ALL Lives Better.

Inclusion and accessibility are variably seen as either unnecessary expenditure, feel-good or philanthropic add-ons or important ways of levelling the playing field so that everybody can have meaningful participation in the things they want to do and the places they want to go. Depending on how much value you place on a life that is different from yours...

What is sadly overlooked in all of these views is the benefit that these adjustments also bring to the lives of people who don't have barriers in the way of accessing the opportunities they enjoy and/or need. I have seen occasional articles pointing this out: for a starting point you could try Joanna Grace's TEDx talk here (less than 15 minutes) or follow her on social media as she frequently explains much better than I can the myriad reasons why and how inclusion benefits everyone and not just those it is "aimed at." Or have a chat with me and I'll ramble at you about it!

I just felt like highlighting this again today after a soul-warming conversation I had earlier. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have both a mental health team and midwife who are thoughtful and responsive and keen to work in an inclusive way, making adjustments to support me so that I receive care that is as beneficial to me as possible. I truly believe that this makes a daily difference to my wellbeing and ability to cope with and enjoy life. A current part of this work is creating a plan to reduce my anxiety and distress around accessing the hospital where I will likely be giving birth and may need to visit for antenatal care. I was discussing with a member of my mental health team some proposed steps in this antenatal plan including pre-recorded and live videos as preparation for brief non-appointment visits. 

And then came the conversation: "Well, wouldn't that [pre-recorded tour] be useful to a lot of other people as well?" "Couldn't they make it available to everybody?" and even better, "Is that something that would be useful for our service to do as well?" 

Yes, yes, and yes! Especially during these restricted times where visiting places is not routinely allowed and people are encouraged to stay at home unless there is very good reason not to, I can't think of many people who wouldn't find the availability of a photos or a video tour or street-view style navigation useful and anxiety-reducing. Birth can be a stressful and anxious time for many people with or without additional difficulties. And likewise pretty much everybody attending an unfamiliar mental health service is going to experience high levels of anxiety which may be slightly reduced by knowing what to expect visually when they arrive. Many venues began to create videos when they reopened after the first lockdown, to explain their covid-secure measures, and I have heard countless reports from friends who have found this really helpful. How fantastic to have professionals around who think one step beyond what you have said and constantly reflect on potential wider implications - the people who truly listen and seek proper understanding are the ones who make strides in care not just and not least for specific patients but also for wider best practice.

Adjustments and accommodations made to make care and environments more accessible and inclusive to me as an autistic person don't just benefit me. Because my needs are perhaps more overt in some areas than other people's and I am fairly aware of them, I can actually help make things better for the general population. With the help of the people around me who have great ideas and are willing to put in the extra work to support me, we can speed up improvements of systems that will help everyone and might otherwise have taken much longer to come to light.