Connect
May 2021
Anastassia Parsons
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MAY 2021 Inclusion is belonging without conformity. It is about the individual experience and allowing everyone to contribute and feel a part of the College, without the need to hide aspects of their identity so they are able to fit in.
WHAT INCLUSION MEANS TO ME Nicola Turner, Learning Resource Advisor, Bedford It is easy to recognise that a person with a physical disability will need support, but close to me are people with a disability, invisible to the eye, but equally challenging. Inclusion to me is a realisation by us all that outward appearances may disguise what is beneath. Many of us take for granted the ability to pick up a book, a magazine article, an online report or refer to a journal and read and understand what is written without difficulty. Dyslexia makes this challenging at best and impossible for others. The condition is life-long and runs in families. There is a misconception that dyslexia is a difficulty with the ability to read and write. If this were true, it would be much easier to identify. In fact, dyslexia can have an effect on areas such as co-ordination, organisation and memory. The frustrations it brings can result in significant loss of self-esteem and low self-confidence. I have been privileged to watch a child with dyslexia overcome its challenges and grow into an intellectual, resourceful and kind-hearted adult. They have achieved well academically and fulfilled ambitions. All they required was a bit of nonjudgemental support and understanding.
Pg.12
Jaylen Smith, Learning Resources, Wellingborough To me, inclusion means feeling accepted by the communities that we live in, whether that be at work, school, or in society. It means feeling like you can just BE, through knowing that regardless of what you reveal about yourself to the people around you, you will still be included. Inclusion to me is both a declaration of ‘you are welcome here’, and the silent gestures you see around you. Past experiences of being in environments where I was unable to be myself, and how that made me feel about myself, has made me strongly aware that no one should be made to feel like that. It’s easy to let past experiences worry you when joining new communities, so I was delighted to join the College’s LGBTQ+ staff forum, and to see the other forums available. These forums are a great way to feel a part of something bigger, that you are not the odd one out. I would say that if you’re debating on joining a staff forum, go for it!
May 2021
