• Find this and a lot more in the SALTO Inclusion for All booklet: No Barriers, No Borders

European Priority Theme in 2009!

What are Mixed-Ability Projects?

It is impossible to talk about inclusion of persons with a disability if you are not involving at the same time persons who don't have a disability. One could think about organising trips or activities "exclusively" for young people with special needs, but this is rather a form of exclusion (separating the young people with a disability again - as they may already be in a special school, undergoing special therapy, working in a sheltered placement, etc). How would you feel if you were only allowed to take part in activities with people that had the same shoe size or eye colour as you? Rather limiting, not?

Real inclusion is about interacting 'normally' with other young people (friendships, fights, jealousies, growing pains, etc) and adults (learning from them, being scolded if they do something wrong, pushing boundaries, questioning authority, etc), finding the place in life for the young person where they would be if they didn't have a disability! So part of a disability organisation's work is to bring the young people they have in their care into contact with other young people in a positive way, e.g. through mixed-ability projects.

• Disability organisations should not miss the opportunity to invite young people without a disability to activities arranged by their organisation. It is a good test to see if the activities and projects they offer are appealing to other young people. Being open for 'regular youth' also is a chance to get in some fresh ideas and potential volunteers.

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Why International Mixed-Ability Projects?

Maybe you think that there's lots more disability work to be done 'back home', before you think of something 'wild' like going abroad with a mixed-ability group. But providing an international opportunity to young people with (and without) a disability in your organisation/country is a positive change in itself. Too few international projects include young people with a disability. Providing ALL young people with this chance is a big step forward.

Here are some more benefits of international mixed ability projects:

• An international exchange or voluntary service, in a mixed-ability group, can be a life-changing experience.
• Taking off could give them an immense sense of achievement, but also of respect
• It is a unique opportunity to live together with persons with and without a disability.
• It is surely a big learning experience about life with a disability.
• Being part of an (international) group is a real life exercise in social skills. They can find out how to react when confronted with difference (food, climate, language,...), within a safe environment.
• Being abroad in a group (e.g. youth exchange) or in a project (e.g. voluntary service) opens a new world.
• They get to know new people and make new friends (quite appreciated if they are isolated), they can try new activities (breaking away from routine), they experience different places and cultures,...
• It gives them a new perspective: a fish only knows what water is, once it is thrown on the shore...
• Projects abroad often have a programme with all kinds of new activities and experiences. Trying out new things also leads to new skills or ideas (e.g. trying out painting, sports, hobbies, likes and dislikes,...).
• Going through such an international experience, inevitably pushes out one's boundaries and increases their self-esteem.
• Doing an exchange allows the young people to experience different approaches to disability.
• This makes the young people and the organisations aware of their own approach and preferences regarding disability and experiment with a different one during a shorter period.
• For the organisations and youth workers involved it can be interesting to 'look over the hedge' and get new ideas, inspiration and motivation from working with organisations abroad.
• Seeing achievements or needs in other countries can be a stimulus for an increased commitment to disability rights.
• International projects, can also have their effect on the local community around the project.
• Organising a project for a mixed-ability group, also confronts the different facilities at the hosting place with the question "are we accessible".

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