At the end of my Disability Awareness Assemblies, I always leave time for the children to ask me questions. Some are funny, some are thoughtful and some cut right to the heart of what inclusion really means.

One of the most common is: “Why are you in a wheelchair?”

Adults often expect me to find these sorts of questions awkward and/or upsetting. But the truth is, I love questions like this – whether it’s within the school hall or even when I’m out and about. These questions show curiosity – which should always be nurtured and encouraged. They open the door to learning. And they remind me of something important: when it comes to inclusion, children often get it far quicker than adults do.

Children See What Adults Sometimes Miss

It’s not just in school halls where children surprise me. My own six-year-old son often makes comments that stop me in my tracks.

• On a school trip, he pointed out that one of the trains “wasn’t fair because Mummy couldn’t get on it.”
• Recently, he said, “If we ever move house, we’d have to think about how you’d get inside.”

It makes me so proud that he notices barriers that many adults overlook. And he doesn’t see me as the problem — he sees the environment as the problem. That, in its simplest form, is what the social model of disability is all about.

Awareness Days Are Reminders

This September, the UK marks National Inclusion Week (15–21 September 2025). And on 10 October, the world comes together for World Inclusion Day.

Both are important reminders that inclusion isn’t just about big policies or workplace initiatives — it’s about the everyday moments where we can choose empathy, understanding, and fairness.

For me, those moments often happen in classrooms. And at home.

Why I Work in Schools

Through my disability awareness assemblies, I give children the chance to ask the questions they’ve always wanted to ask. Together, we explore what disability means, how to break down barriers, and how to treat difference with respect.

The most powerful part? Watching children make the connections themselves. They see that the “problem” isn’t the wheelchair — it’s the lack of a ramp. They understand that inclusion isn’t about fixing people, it’s about fixing environments.

These are lessons they’ll carry into adulthood, shaping the kind of workplaces, communities, and society we all want to live in.

From Children to Adults

As an equality trainer, I also work with adults in schools and organisations. And here’s the truth: sometimes the children I meet already “get it” more naturally than the grown-ups do.

That’s why I believe we can learn just as much from young people as they learn from us. Their honesty, curiosity, and kindness are exactly what inclusion needs.

A Call to Action

This National Inclusion Week and World Inclusion Day, let’s do more than mark a date on the calendar. Let’s listen — really listen — to the lessons children can teach us about inclusion.

If you’re a school, I’d love to deliver an assembly that sparks these important conversations.

If you’re an organisation, I can provide equality training that helps you build a culture where inclusion isn’t just talked about — it’s lived.

Because children remind me every day: inclusion isn’t complicated. It’s about empathy, fairness, and making sure everyone belongs.