Back to my last post, inclusivity doesn’t stop at events. What if we extended these principles to businesses and restaurants? Imagine welcoming signage, sensory-friendly practices, and a culture of understanding everywhere we go. Wouldn’t that be incredible? Inclusivity should be woven into the fabric of our community.
And what about sensitivity training? Instead of boring videos, what if we took a page from StrongMinds’ book and created a peer-support system for learning about neurodiversity? StrongMinds, an organization focused on mental health support, uses a similar peer-to-peer model, training laypeople to deliver evidence-based therapies within their communities. Imagine short, impactful team meetings where employees share experiences and learn from each other. Wouldn’t that be a much more engaging and effective way to foster empathy and understanding? Peer-to-peer learning empowers everyone.
What if, like those self-supporting groups in Africa (where communities facing limited resources have successfully used peer support models for everything from financial assistance to addiction recovery), we built communities that empower individuals to learn, grow, and support each other? Wouldn’t that create a ripple effect of positive change? It’s not just about branding or saying we’re inclusive; it’s about truly living it. It’s about creating a town where neurodivergent individuals and their families feel loved, accepted, and safe. And isn’t that the kind of community we all want to live in? True inclusivity is about action, not just words.
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