Just Include is a non profit which was set up and launched in September 2024. Our aim is to educate, empower and stand up for disabled people in decision making. Our scope currently is Northern Ireland but over the next year we will expand our work to the rest of the UK.
Currently we are hard at work finishing our Northern Ireland Programme, which consists of a handbook covering the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive and a series of accompanying workshops.
This work will be launched at Stormont on the 31st March 2025, more details in due course. Following this we plan to start delivering these workshops, whilst getting more disabled people involved within Just Include so we cane scale up our work and impact.
In terms of campaigns and lobbying work, whilst our prioritises aren’t fully set yet. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) incorporation UK wide is a key focus within the sector. I (Andrew) have been working on an upcoming Private Members Bill which will hopefully make public authorities compliant with the convention, for the past 2 years. It is currently in public consultation, but hopefully will be published soon.
However a campaign priority that Just Include will be focusing on is lobbying for increased digital accessibility and inclusion in terms of protections and legislation UK wide. As this is a policy area absent from current legislation. A policy brief has been developed and will also be formally launched in march. However it can be read here.
what is the Asterisk?
You may have noticed our brand is centred around an Asterisk and you may be wondering how does it relate to our disability advocacy work?
An Asterisks is used as a mark or a note in the English language.
However disabled people are often marked with an asterisk as different or to note that something like an event is inaccessible and exclusive of disabled people.
Just Include aims to change this, by reclaiming the asterisk advocating and enabling disabled people to advocate for a inclusive and equitable society.
