Inclusion is friendship

Social life affects the overall development of the personality from birth. Baby’s primary connections to the outside world at infancy are through parents – his primary caregivers! Specifically, the individuals in an infant’s home who are caring for them, providing their food, water, and shelter, and interacting with them daily are the people who are meeting these socialization needs between birth and twelve months of age. Babies will develop trust and love for their caregivers because they are given adequate love and nurturing from their environment. After that, children will socialize through interaction with other people and through it develop intelligence, imagination, self-belief, self-confidence, self-esteem... In the teenage years, the relationship with peers is crucial for every teenager, including teenagers with developmental difficulties. It is important that children with developmental disabilities are included in social and public events, sports (the big and unforgettable Paralympic Games), schooling, and later employment within their capabilities.

While diversity is cited as a top value by almost every organization, people with disabilities often are overlooked or under-supported. As a result, they’re missing out on a great source of talent, and we’re all missing out on the full potential of people whose abilities put them in some way outside the “standard fit”. Having good disability inclusion policies isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s good for everyone, at every level in society.

Friendship means being there for each other, not necessarily physically. Friendship means trusting each other and showing loyalty. Friendship means something which adds value to your life, and makes it worthwhile.

For all the above reasons, it is very important that children with developmental disabilities are included equally in all social situations. As a volunteer of an association where children and people with developmental disabilities come, I can say that I found great friends there, friends for life. They do not allow sad and negative emotions to overwhelm us, there is always a positive atmosphere full of love and joy. All the problems brought by everyday life remain behind me when I enter the Association to dance, draw, play social games... And I get a new wave of energy to return to the duties of everyday life. On the other hand, I see the joy, happiness and fulfillment of my friends too. We are grateful to have each other. Through various manifestations, we prove the thesis "Inclusion is friendship", and the gift we received through one of them is shown in the picture below.