#InclusionNowRally

Marlena:

Today I am here as a lady with a disability that considers herself fortunate to have had to access to education. I am lucky and I am fortunate, that despite being nonverbal and a wheelchair user, my mum had the foresight to see the value in fighting for inclusive education. She knew that if I was to have any opportunity in life my best chance would be to be among others. I shudder to think what may have been had my mum taken the advice of many people's supposed experts to place me away with others like me. She was told it would be safer. but she knew better. She knew my safety was better secured when I would be among others and visual. Among many people. My safety was never going to be guaranteed with paid specialised staff always circling. but with peers my age. She was told I may not get the right support and I would need specialised staff if she chose mainstream. What a bullying vindictive tactic. She knew better and knew my education was only going to be given within the regular system. Not away or out of sight. She fought for me to go to the same school as my brother and let me tell you it was a fight. While my brother would get in trouble if he skipped a class or school it was not expected for me to attend full days and this continued until the day I left high school. I am one of the lucky ones but yet here we are still fighting for equality.

Why? 

Why are we still having families that are told they have the choice to attend mainstream schools but are being forced into segregated settings? It is not a choice if you are locked out and denied an education due to your disability.  

When I woke up this morning and looked in my diary on the front it said we are in 2000 and 22. But I ask, are we? Any other minority group would not accept what families that have children with disabilities are being told every single day in Queensland. Why the hell did I have to wait until my mother, myself and others navigated and fought the system (and won) to be supported? Why the hell did I have to wait until university until I truly was supported 100% inclusively? And guess what when I was supported at university I was more independent and successful. Inclusion from an economic standpoint is so much more cost-effective.  

So TODAY WE Stand together and say enough is enough. The inclusive education argument has been had and quite frankly been proven to be the only way. We are not here today to argue the pros and cons. We are not here today to have our rights taken away from a government that continues to invest in segregated settings under the guise that parents have the right to choose. Let me tell you I don't know one person that would choose segregated settings if they truly were supported in inclusive education and treated like any other Australian child.  

Today I haven't even talked about the united nation convention rights or Queensland educations own policies. I am sure others will. The inclusive education debate is over. Legally, morally, best practice and more it is over. Done dusted and won. I won't be sidetracked by entering that debate. inclusive education must now occur. I shouldn't be a lucky one or for that matter even thankful I have received an education. Don't get me wrong I am thankful but this should be the case for every single person here today. I call on the government to immediately cease pouring money into a proven broken system that fuels segregation into adulthood.  

I could speak for ages but today I am going to leave you with this 

There is nothing special about special schools and segregated settings. Nothing special at all. Let's implement that 10-year plan to shut them down. Wouldn't it be great if this was in place as we welcomed the world to the Olympic games? Hell, we could even have inclusive games and showcase case the world what inclusion could look like. Today is the day to act. Thank you all today for your strength, resilience and ability to keep getting back up and fight for what's right. Let's go to William street and change this system.