Inclusion - notes from GSUSA

As you think about where, when, and how often to meet with your group, you will find yourself considering the needs, resources, safety, and beliefs of all members and potential members. As you do this, include the special needs of any members who have disabilities, or whose parents or guardians have disabilities. But please don’t rely on visual cues to inform you of a disability: Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population has a disability—that’s one in five people, of every socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and religion. As a volunteer, your interactions with girls present an opportunity to improve the way society views girls (and their parents/guardians) with disabilities. Historically, disabilities have been looked at from a deficit viewpoint with a focus on how people with disabilities could be fixed. Today, the focus is on a person’s abilities—on what she can do rather than on what she cannot. Girl Scouts embraces girls of all abilities, backgrounds, and heritage, with a specific and positive philosophy of inclusion that benefits everyone. Each girl—without regard to socioeconomic status, race, physical or cognitive ability, ethnicity, primary language, or religion—is an equal and valued member of the group, and groups reflect the diversity of the community. “Inclusion” is an approach and an attitude, rather than a set of guidelines. Inclusion is about belonging, about all girls being offered the same opportunities, about respect and dignity, and about honoring the uniqueness of and differences among us all. You’re being accepting and inclusive when you: ·

• Welcome every girl and focus on building community. ·
• Emphasize cooperation instead of competition. ·
• Provide a safe and socially comfortable environment for girls. ·
• Teach respect for, understanding of, and dignity toward all girls and their families.
• Actively reach out to girls and families who are traditionally excluded or marginalized.
• Foster a sense of belonging to community as a respected and valued peer. ·H
• Honor the intrinsic value of each person’s life.

What a wonderful opportunity such an approach will offer to the girls you mentor! If you want to find out what a girl with a disability needs to make her Girl Scout experience successful, simply ask her or her parents or guardians. If you are frank and accessible, it’s likely they will respond in kind, creating an atmosphere that enriches everyone. It’s important for all girls to be rewarded based on their best efforts—not completion of a task. Give any girl the opportunity to do her best and she will. Sometimes that means changing a few rules or approaching an activity in a more creative way. Here are some examples of ways to modify activities: ·

• Invite a girl to complete an activity after she has observed others doing it.
• If you are visiting a museum to view sculpture, find out if a girl who is blind might be given permission to touch the pieces.
• If an activity requires running, a girl who is unable to run could be asked to walk or do another physical movement. When interacting with a girl (or parent/guardian) with a disability, consider these final tips:
• When talking to a girl with a disability, speak directly to her, not through a parent or friend.
• It is okay to offer assistance to a girl with a disability, but wait until your offer is accepted before you begin to help. Listen closely to any instructions the person may have.
• Leaning on a girl’s wheelchair is invading her space and is considered annoying and rude.
• When speaking to a girl who is deaf and using an interpreter, speak to the girl, not to her interpreter.
• When speaking for more than a few minutes to a girl who uses a wheelchair, place yourself at eye level.
• When greeting a girl with a visual disability, always identify yourself and others. You might say, “Hi, it’s Sheryl. Tara is on my right, and Chris is on my left.”