The Inclusion Project is a student organization that has pushed to make Athens a better place. The members strive to break down ableist society and promote disability inclusion and rights.
The President of The Inclusion Project, Kennedy Faller, a senior studying special education, has been involved with The Inclusion Project since her freshman year.
Faller said the group meets once or twice a month to do activities like painting, making cards or presenting about inclusive language.
Before it was The Inclusion Project, the organization was named Student Council for Exceptional Children.
“We changed our name because (it’s more) correct wording,” Faller said.
Every year, an Ohio University Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences professor presents to the organization about how to be respectful of deaf or hard of hearing people. The professor also teaches group members basic signs.
Wesleigh Wilkison, a senior studying hearing, speech and language sciences and the Secretary for The Inclusion Project, said the organization collaborates with Ohio University Sparkles, a spirit squad, about once a year. In February, The Inclusion Project will make cards with Sparkles to send to children with pediatric cancer or chronic illness.
The Inclusion Project organizes a 5k walk called “Access to Accessibility Walk” to advocate for people with disabilities and raise money to develop the accommodations necessary for an inclusive community.
So far there have been two “Access to Accessibility” Walks, one in April and in October 2024. The most recent walk was Oct. 20, and it raised funds for a walkway at Strouds Run State Park.
Last April, the funds from an “Access to Accessibility Walk” went to the City of Athens Disability Commission to add wheelchair-accessible equipment to Alexander Elementary School’s playground.
Last semester, The Inclusion Project held an Adapted Field Day, which offered adapted volleyball, an adapted relay race and a balloon toss to the public.
“We got a lot of people from the communities, from a lot of different local athlete schools to come together and just create an inclusive and accessible space where all the kids could just get together,” Wilkinson said. “Everyone could really just be themselves.”
Wilkinson also explained student teachers in The Inclusion Project spread the word about the field day by contacting their students. The Inclusion Project plans to organize another Adapted Field Day soon, Wilkinson said.
Both Wilkinson and Faller expressed they were surprised by how many people, all with different majors and interests, came together for their common goal.
They do fundraisers for the organization, like selling Duncan coffee, grilled cheese or hot dogs on campus. They don’t spend a lot of money, but they try to do at least one fundraiser a year, which is the only way they get funding for their events.
“We never want to charge the community to come to things,” Wilkinson said.
In the future, according to Wilkinson, The Inclusion Project is working on building a little library by working with a local school in Athens. They plan to set it up outside of Patton Hall.
“It’s important to have inclusive activities and events,” David McNelly, the President of the Disabilities Commission said. “I think it’s really important to have as much interaction as possible with adults, and students with disabilities to make our community as accessible as possible.”
