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Strategies
Strategy 1 | Strategy 2 | Strategy 3 | Strategy 4 | Strategy 5 | Strategy 6
Strategy Five: Start with a Neighborhood
Building inclusion for an entire neighborhood is a worthy goal. People get to know each other in a variety of ways. Neighborhood organizations - their leaders and members - can work to find out what issues and activities are important to neighbors who have not been involved in the past. They can share this information with others in the community and plan a variety of places, projects, organizations, events, and celebrations that bring people together. Those who often feel on the outside of neighborhood life can begin to feel welcomed and included in many aspects of their neighborhood.
A neighborhood that decides to focus on inclusion and work to increase the involvement of all neighbors will build the awareness, knowledge, relationships, and momentum needed to sustain an inclusive community.
Here's what we've learned about involving neighbors through a neighborhood effort in Delridge:
- Neighbors choose to do things together because they share a common interest or enjoy each other's company.
- Once people are recognized for the talents they can offer to the neighborhood, they get invited to participate in other neighborhood events, projects, and organizations.
- Many real barriers can get in the way for neighborhood involvement, such as transportation and mobility, medical concerns, and money. Neighbors are willing to help each other overcome these barriers when relationships are formed.
- By sharing neighborhood activities over time, people find things to like, appreciate, tolerate, dislike, and avoid about persons that have nothing to do with their disability.
- Once a neighborhood begins with one small step toward inclusion, there's a ripple effect: other people join in, other activities get underway.
- Family members of persons with disabilities are resources in neighborhoods with the self-interest to build inclusive places.
- As a neighborhood becomes more welcoming and inclusive, the news spreads and others join in to welcome and be welcomed.
- People learn leadership skills when they work to help make a neighborhood more inclusive and often use those skills to get involved in broader neighborhood issues.
- Neighborhood organizations can combine a variety of activities in order to learn to be inclusive: holding classes, discussing specific issues about inclusion, involving individuals who have been marginalized, hiring knowledgeable persons.
Read more about people who started with a neighborhood:
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