What does it look like to belong? What is authentic inclusion? What is a strong circle of support? At the conference for Community Living Ontario last week, these were all important questions and ponderings. These are the questions that started a movement in Ontario over 70 years ago and these are questions that have no simple answer. The day to day lives of all Ontarians are different, the passions and interests are diverse and the definition of family and friend and the space they take up in our lives is very different. How then does a movement keep going forward with no clear bullet points to indicate where the destination is? A good first step is to put the person at the heart of the journey. Each of us know when we feel included, when we value the presence of another, when we miss someone who is not there that was. We know how it feels when we are completely comfortable to be with someone, when we have a few good friends. And this is both the great challenge and the wondrous privilege of planning and helping others to seek out, nurture, expect or even demand inclusion and accessibility, it is not one size fits all. At the heart of the work and adventure is getting to know what people enjoy, seek out and desire, what make there heart sing. While there is no absolute recipe, people know how it feels when they have arrived at a dream, and in that feeling can plan for another as part of the circle.
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