Inclusive organisations

We believe everyone has the right to be involved in decision-making that affects them.

It's a human right!

This is described in Article 4.3 (General Obligations) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for all governments to recognise, specifically in relation to persons with disabilities.

This means organisations must make sure that people with disabilities are involved in everything they do.

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The challenge

Right now, there are more self-advocate leaders than ever working for change.

But we know people with an intellectual disability are often still not included meaningfully in the work that affects them.

"When we take part in meetings with other organisations we very rarely get the information in the way we need."

There are lots of organisations working with people with intellectual disabilities who do this very well.

However, we can all do better.

The DSi network advocates for organisations to be inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities.

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What is an inclusive organisation?

Put simply, an inclusive organisation is one that includes all its stakeholders in its work

Many people face barriers that prevent them from playing key roles in organisations. 

Such roles may include (but are not limited to): 

• leadership and governance;
• development of activities or projects;
• publishing or broadcasting information that can be understood by everyone.  

Every organisation should aspire to include everyone in its decision-making.

This can be achieved in any organisation, with the right processes in place and with a genuine desire to succeed. 

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What we are doing

Project focus - Listen Include Respect UK

• WHEN - 2023 - ongoing
• WHO WITH - With our UK member, Down's Syndrome Association (England, Wales and N.I.)
• WHAT'S HAPPENING - We are training a new group of self-advocates with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, to become consultants on inclusive organisations.

Listen Include Respect UK

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Project focus - Listen Include Respect

• WHEN - 2021-2022
• WHO WITH - With Inclusion International and our respective member organisations.
• WHAT'S HAPPENING - "Listen Include Respect" is a project developing international guidelines so organisations can make their work inclusive.

Visit the LIR website

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Project focus - Inclusive participation with CAST

• WHEN - 2021-2022
• WHO WITH - With our UK member, Down's Syndrome Association (England, Wales and N.I.), and the DSi Ambassadors.
• WHAT'S HAPPENING - a project exploring solutions to the challenge of remote participation.

LEARN ABOUT CAST

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What's next?

We are learning all the time from our current projects. In the future, we hope to do more work like this, working with our membership network and with international organisations all over the world. DSi will also continue to improve our own work, ensuring that everything we do includes people with Down syndrome, from start to finish.   

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If you like what you have seen, why not sign up to join our network?

Learn - find out what needs to change in the world so that all people with Down syndrome are fully included in society.

Inform - tell us what life is like for people with Down syndrome where you live.

Advocate - speak up for people with Down syndrome and disabilities.

SIGN-UP

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