Who needs accommodation, and why it benefits everyone

Every child has the right to quality education and learning. When you start thinking about creating a soil literacy project you must consider how to provide the opportunity of participation for all the students in your school, regardless of their various physical and mental abilities.

At the same time a soil literacy project is an excellent tool to prove that with careful planning it is indeed possible for everybody to participate. It makes it possible for students whose talents are not in fields traditionally celebrated by the school to have a highly satisfying learning experience that may also boost their classroom performance.

When planning the project, you have to consider:

• Physical disabilities — e.g. can your wheelchair-user student enter the premises where you will have the project?
• Mental disabilities — e.g. does your autistic student have a talent that could be useful in the project?
• Gender-related issues — e.g. does the school community accept if girls work hard in traditionally male roles?
• Age-related issues — e.g. do the older students accept the opinion of their younger students?
• National minorities — e.g. does the project include the traditions and cultural references your national minority student can contribute?
• Religious issues — e.g. does the project timetable take into consideration the religious holidays of all the students?

If the answer is not a definitive "YES" you have to think about possible solutions. If any do not apply, you can skip them. However, you still have to be aware — an under/overweight student or one wearing glasses might feel just as incapable of gardening as a wheelchair user. Inclusion takes more effort and time, but exceptions should not be made for project timelines.

When looking for a solution, it is best to involve the student(s) and their families and ask for their opinion and advice. By acknowledging awareness of the issue, you have taken the first important step towards inclusion.