Strategies

Strategy 1 | Strategy 2 | Strategy 3 | Strategy 4 | Strategy 5 | Strategy 6

Strategy Three: Start with a Neighborhood Leader

Neighborhood leaders share a common concern: getting new people involved in the neighborhood. To build on their efforts, Involving All Neighbors went to leaders who were especially interested in involving people in neighborhood activism and pointed out to them the untapped resources in people with disabilities and others who might not have been involved for a variety of reasons. We wanted to find out how to build the awareness of neighborhood leaders and encourage them to initiate their own strategies for inclusion by offering the resources of the Involving All Neighbors program.

Here's what we learned about involving people by starting with a neighborhood leader. The stories of Larry and Ballard Rising show these strategies in action:

An association is only as strong as the people who participate. Everyone in the neighborhood has something valuable to contribute to a group that will make it that much stronger.

What Makes Neighborhood Organizations Inclusive?

Persons with developmental disabilities and their families, neighborhood activists, and neighborhood organization leaders say that inclusion happens when:

• Persons with disabilities bring unique resources, talents, skills, and perspectives to their neighborhood. These assets can be shared and used in community efforts and organizations.
• New neighborhood leaders need encouragement and help along the way from seasoned neighborhood activists.
• Issues that are important to people with disabilities, like inclusion and accessibility, are issues that are important to the entire neighborhood.
• It's in the best interest of every neighborhood leader to build their communities and organizations by reaching out to people who haven't been involved before and, consequently, most leaders are willing to invest time and energy.

Every neighborhood contains many partners who have common visions and can help create a project or event. Each partner contributes a different perspective and skill. In the process, work is spread out manageably and relationships are built. Read more about people who became neighborhood leaders by reaching out to others:

The stories about Matt and Kathi and Anne and Christina show these strategies in action:

	LARRY: Activist with Disabilities Leads in His Neighborhood
	LOIS, THOMAS and BALLARD RISING: Reaching Out Can be Fun