This is inclusion

Yesterday was field day at school, a day that I both love and dread each year with my students. I love it because we get to experience the closest thing to full inclusion that exists for m kids in this county right now. We go out and participate in every single activity that I can possibly modify, adapt, or make accessible alongside the general education population without any distinctions made (no special activities are designated for us, we do not attend at a special time or sit in the back row). We are kids having fun in a swirling mob of other kids. I dread it for a few reasons: 1) the logistics of planning how to adapt activities and to "off road" our wheelchairs up and down giant hills that are never accessible, 2) the logistics of mobile "crash carts" that must be assembled and taken everywhere without attracting attention from the other kids, 3) stupid adults who don't "get it". I must say that my kids had so much fun yesterday and we were able to adapt probably 70-75% of the activities for them to participate in. Favorites included t-ball, the 50 yard dash, the sack race, and the basketball toss. Apparently I throw like a girl (um, I would be worried if I didn't). A few run-ins with clueless or even prejudiced people made my protective emper flare momentarily, but then we moved on and had a blast. For example, a really cool semi-truck came that had a bowling lane in the trailer. I could see the parts to quickly place a ramp over the steps and make it accessible but the two men running it said there was no way to make it so our wheelchairs could go into the trailer, but we were welcome to carry the kids up and inside. HUH?!? Like that is safe, or legal, or not flat-out prejudiced. After my mini-education on discrimination the guys still played (or maybe were) stupid so we just let our sweet girl who can walk cut in front of the 50 other kdis in line and have a turn. We were willing to wait in line if they were willing to make it accessible, but not otherwise. Our other run-in was with a parent volunteers at t-ball who kept directing children to go around us in line and when I pointed out that we were in line replied "well, I just saw the strollers and the babies and thought you were only watching.". WHAT?!? I quickly pointed out that they were wheelchairs, that my kids are in kindergarten, and that they don't generally like being called babies. I said this very politely, but was told not to be snipey. Whatever. We spoke loudest with the incredible hits we made and the laughter that echoed as each child ran the bases. Give us a fair chance and you will be amazed by the things we can do. Label us babies and pass us by, and you will never know the potential we hold. :) Plenty of other people made up for those two issues - a bunch of fathers working the giant parachute jumped in and helped our kids be able to run in and out from underneath the parachute and mae sure we all participated and then asked very insightful questions about our program. At the sack race, kindergarten kids who know my kids from inclusion were cheering on my kids as we raced. ;) A little girl helped my kids at the basketball toss, and at bowling countless kids cheered on my little one who got the chance to bowl. All in all it was a great day. Everyone had a great time, but most importantly they had a great time alongside their peers without any great production made about it. This is inclusion- a little adaptation, a lot of creativity, many tender hearted children, and a focus on ability rather than disability. We make it seem so much more complicated than it needs to be. And instead of the fearful unknown that it is t many teachers, it is beautiful, it is natural, it is children being children before adults muddle it up and complicate it.