On Thursday, April 21st I had the pleasure of being invited to host a talk on inclusion in the beautiful town of Mudgee. The event was organised by Ability Links, CareWest, and the Benevolent Society, and it coincided with Mudgee’s sports inclusion festival.
Next Step was started in 2011 after a successful pilot program that allowed us to test the waters and experiment with techniques to support children’s learning processes. We designed an adaptable model that is flexible and versatile. Creating Inclusive pathways is at the forefront of our purpose, and building capacity is key to transitioning children to mainstream activities.
The sharing of knowledge is vital, and organisations that are obtaining positive outcomes within the field of inclusion should be sharing their methods and best practices with others to increase participation and awareness.
In Mudgee, I shared a space with scout leaders, a swim coach, a martial arts instructor, a horse therapy instructor, soccer coaches and a bowls coach. Our Next Step model can be applied to all these activities by using the tools we have created and customising them to help children learn the skills that are required to participate actively in the exercise.
If we want to create a more inclusive community, then we must work TOGETHER and SHARE our KNOWLEDGE.
Jose Bello
Foundation Director
