[nagdu] Inclusive discussion

[Michael Hingson]

Hi Vanessa,

I agree with everything you say.  Certainly there can be groups within
groups.  We each possess our own knowledge base.

However, the overriding precept must be that all groups are part of a larger
group, the whole, and no one can be left out.  This often means that the
knowledge of each of us must expand a bit to encompass and accept everyone's
differences.


Mike Hingson

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Vanessa Lowery
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2012 06:49 AM
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users' 'NAGDU Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Inclusive discussion

Interesting topic.  I read a few messages on either Friday or Saturday night
and spent the rest of the weekend pondering the concept of "inclusiveness".

Here's my take, for what it is worth.  Inclusiveness does imply that you
accept "everyone", regardless of the differences that each person may have.
But even within inclusiveness, there are boundaries.  Let me explain.

I am a social worker by professions.  There are social workers *everywhere*,
but while I am in the parger group called social workers, I do not possess
all of the skills that a social worker can have.  My area of expertise is in
Adult Services, and very specifically, Adult Protective Services.  There are
things specific to this area of social work that a social worker from
another area of practice (child foster care, for example) would be clueless
about, from the types of resources available to even the dark humor that
runs rampid in our area of social work.  AT the same time, the foster care
social worker has access to knowledge, and yes, even the dark humor, that is
specific to his/her area of practice that I woudl be equally cleless about.
So while we all slogged through school to become social workers, making us
members of tha tlarger community called social workers, we did not all go
into identical fields of practice.  So I am included in both the alrger
community of social workers, but I am also in that community specifically
devoted to Adult Services, while not every other social worker belongs to
that very specific and smaller community.

So, there will be diversity and cultural difference, so to speak, within a
give community.  You can ahve both exist at the same time.

OK, putting my brain back to sleep.



Vanessa Lowery, LGSW
Adult and Community Services Division
Adult Services Screening Unit
410-853-3550
VLowery at dhr.state.md.us



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