learning disability | Include.org

Meet Anne…

Now retired, Anne spent her long career as a youth worker and teacher bringing the joy of music to hospitals and schools in Epsom, south London and Uganda. Two years ago Anne joined Include.

Volunteering in inclusive communication

When I heard about Include I was so pleased to see music combined with Makaton back in Epsom. I believe so much in the power of music for mental wellbeing. Because I enjoyed previous experiences so much, I wanted to know more about this initiative. I’ve done some performances with The Include Choir, including the Ashley Centre and train station in Epsom and Bourne Hall in Ewell, and I go on Stroll and Sign walks most months.

Members of The Include Choir in Epsom rehearse. They have an object of reference to represent friendship - it is a string of paper dolls.

Communication is a basic human need that enables self-expression and the ability to relate to others and make sense of experiences.

Thanks to groups like the Include Choir, progress is being made towards a more inclusive society and the Include leadership is inspirational.

A passion for music

I didn’t have the opportunity to learn how to play a band instrument as a child although I always enjoyed listening to live music. While teaching at a secondary school I supported the concert band and was inspired by a couple of teachers who were learning how to play the saxophone. It made me realise it’s never too late to learn and I decided to have clarinet lessons. I also play the ukulele and since retiring I really enjoy playing with a concert band.

A couple of years after doing teacher training at University of Wales Trinity St David I was teaching at a primary school in Lambeth, where I was also deputy head. While there I had the opportunity to study the Orff method of teaching music for a year on day release at the University of Roehampton. This method uses speech, dance, singing, drama, movement and using percussion instruments and is an inclusive approach to music education that is good for all ages and musical abilities.

Communication and self-expression

Pupils in my school were very responsive to the Orff method of learning music and a highlight was performing at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Some years later I taught basic skills and music at St Ebba’s and the Manor in the Epsom hospital cluster (a group of hospitals) and the community. They had high quality instruments and lessons were very popular. The students were enthusiastic and the community was very supportive. Using the Orff method in my music classes allowed students to communicate and express themselves, gain confidence, explore emotions, build self-esteem and have an enjoyable and fun time.

Using Makaton

I first learnt Makaton when I attended a day course led by Margaret Walker, a founder of Makaton. I was then able to integrate this method of communication into my teaching. I also taught key vocabulary to staff and support workers so they were able to communicate with the learners. I taught Makaton while teacher training in primary schools and supporting staff at Elizabeth House, an amazing residential centre for children and young people in Mukono, Uganda, with wonderful dedicated and inspirational staff.

Include highlights

The Include Choir performances are always a highlight, seeing the audience’s reaction. Also seeing the enjoyment, confidence, sense of belonging and increased communication skills that members get from taking part in Include activities. Include is a great group to belong to for those with and without communication difficulties. I’d encourage everyone to challenge themselves to learn Makaton and enjoy the benefits of music and walking with a group of such kind and understanding people.

Find out how to get involved with Include here:

Stroll & Sign walks: Stroll and Sign | Include.org

The Include Choir: The Include Choir | Include.org

Or email info@include.org to find our more about our Makaton training

Penny Sims
Penny Sims
Communications, Fundraising and Partnerships Lead

Reasonable Adjustments

At Include, we work hard to ensure that communication needs or disabilities are not a barrier to access or inclusion in our projects.

We proactively make reasonable adjustments – and we keep listening and checking what else we can do to ensure people have equal access.

We admit that we can always improve in this area.

Probably most services, charities and businesses can do more to enable genuine equality of access. We don’t just mean how easy a building is to access if you have a mobility issue. But the whole experience – how people interact and communicate, how we experience an environment or service from a sensory point of view etc.

A graphic representation of a ramp - explaining the things that support Communication access. 1 Raise Awareness of Communication Needs. 2 Increase Understanding of Inclusive Communication 3 Build confidence and self-advocacy in people with Communication needs 4 Train people to be inclusive communication partners.

Focussing on improvements that help individuals and getting it right tends to enhance things for everyone, with or without an additional need.

As well as coproducing a FREE Easy Read on Reasonable Adjustments, our lived experience consultancy team The Include Champions are reviewing some of the things we do within Include and helping to fine-tune them.

By sharing this FREE Easy Read we hope more people with communication needs and disabilities will have better experiences when they go to work, interact with services or are customers in shops and restaurants.

Email

Basic graphic of an envelope on a computer screen to represent email

We recently talked about our emails.

We already use accessible fonts and Easy Read format – with a picture to reinforce each point.

But our members suggested that we use shorter and simpler links, and make the writing bigger.

Website

Image of a young man pointing at the colour red on a board which has two colours on it - red and blue

We’re becoming even more aware of the importance of colour contrast in terms of how easy, or not, it is to read and have started to use a new resource to check this: https://colourcontrast.cc 

Furthermore, we are going to be working harder to make best use of alternative (Alt) Text to describe the images we use on our website and elsewhere. Thanks to Colin Grist from Few and Far for his free talk and tips on website accessibility.

A screen shot of a calendar of things Include.org is doing on 15th 18th and 19th of July. Which are Stroll and Sign on 15th at 11am, Epsom Include Choir on 18th at 6pm and Redhill Include Choir on 19th at 7.30pm

Our website provides project information in a calendar format so members can check at any time what projects are running, where and when. One of our Champions, Hannah is encouraging everyone to use it – it means you don’t have to wait for the emails!

Visuals

A photo of the list of songs that Include Choir members have put together on a board. Includes songs Any Dream Will Do, Three Little Birds, This is M, Sweet Caroline, I have a Dream, Fly a Kite, Don't Worry Be Happy, Shotgun and Wonderful World

Consultation and co-production are central to the way we do things, so naturally Include Choir members help to write lyrics and choose which songs we learn to sing and sign.

Visual and tactile prompts help people with communication needs. So, we make a physical list of song names with visuals using Velcro. Members choose from a whole table full of song options to decide which songs we perform at certain events.

Recently Hannah, one of our members has suggested that our song polls on Facebook also have an image to represent each song option to enhance understanding.

We also have a photo board at the choir sessions – this is for people to add themselves (sign in – without needing a pen) as they arrive and so everyone can see from the photos who is there that day.

Recently we have had feedback to say that we should make the signing in board a bit more organised so that volunteers are shown in a board along with an idea of their role that day.

Objects

A montage of three photos showing Objects of Reference. 1 photo shows  Hattie the Hat stand loaded with props like two large foam hands, a round emoji cushion with a smile and hearts as eyes. A photo of a choir member having fun playing a blow-up guitar. Choir Director standing next to the hat stand doing thumbs up and the back of someone in the choir also doing thumbs up - the Makaton sign for good.

Hattie the hat stand is never far from our Choir Directors! There is a very good reason for that. We have Hattie because it carries all our props or objects of reference. We use physical props because some people find objects helpful to enhance understanding – because communication is more than signs or words.

Champion Beth feels the props are good as we have some visually impaired members – props can enhance their experience too. Member Philip loves the hat stand and Josh reminds us to include Hattie in some of our photos!

Location

A photo of 5 people walking down a path in the countryside chatting and using hand gestures while talking

Many of the adjustments we make are not to do with literal access ramps (often the first thing that comes to mind when people consider disability access). That said, when we run projects like our Stroll and Sign wellbeing walks, or perform as a choir in new locations we always risk assess beforehand.

An important element of that is assessing accessibility and working out what adjustments we may need to make. For example, regarding lighting in a car park, suitability for wheelchair users or access to a stage. And if we need to, we do feedback to venues about any issues to try to improve things.

If you would like some guidance on inclusive communication, or access to a lived experience focus group to look at this topic for your organisation please get in touch: info@include.org

Penny Sims
Penny Sims
Communications, Fundraising and Partnerships Lead

Hello…we are the Champions!

Claudia, our new Speech and Language Therapy Assistant, who we introduced you to in December’s blog, has been getting to know The Include Champions Group a bit better.

We’re really proud of the Champions Group because they do some really important things, and we’d like everyone to have a chance to get to know the group better – not just Claudia!

So, our latest FREE Easy Read resource is made by the Include Champions about the Include Champions! It explains what the group does, why and how – all presented in an Easy Read format.

FREE Audio format on SoundCloud.

In summary, The Include Champions Group is a lived experience consultancy team, generating ideas, feedback and free accessible resources on important topics including the Mental Capacity Act and Inclusive Communication.

Members have real world experience of learning disabilities, autism and other communication needs.

Dedicated group members meet every week via Zoom, and there is always something important to discuss, analyse and provide feedback on.

Time to Talk Day (2nd Feb), which encourages people to have conversations about mental health, seemed like a good day to re-share two of the Easy Read resources produced by our group:

🗣 Kind Communication
👂 Listening Skills

As our CEO Alix says in her guest blog for Browning York; “Today is ‘Time to Talk’ day – a day designed to promote conversation and communication to benefit everyone’s mental health. Let’s also think about the communication which uses more than words to include people – the biggest kindness of all.”

Penny Sims
Penny Sims
Communications, Fundraising and Partnerships Lead