Inclusion and Diversity

How can international youth work programmes be designed so that young people with disabilities can participate in them as a matter of course? What framework conditions are necessary for this? Together with representatives from international youth work, self-advocacy organisations, disability support services, academia and public administration – from Germany and around the world – IJAB addressed these questions in the VISION:INCLUSiON project between 2015 and 2020 and developed an inclusion strategy for international youth work as well as various resources.

Everyone has a right to social participation and education. Young people with and without disabilities, from a wide variety of backgrounds, should be able to participate equally in international projects and exchanges. The legal basis for this has existed in Germany since 2009 with the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The concept of inclusion is linked to the vision of an inclusive society in which every person, with their individual characteristics and needs, can participate without having to make major adjustments.

Significant progress has been made in this area in recent years. Nevertheless, particularly when it comes to the inclusion of young people with disabilities or impairments, there are still major challenges, uncertainties and a need for further development in terms of practical implementation.

Resources and support services

Support is provided by a range of materials and examples of good practice, as well as the tools and concepts developed as part of the IJAB project VISION:INCLUSiON. For example, a strategy has been developed to provide organisations with a practical guide to moving towards inclusive international youth work.

The following pages contain further information about the project. You will also find details of the various publications, which you can order or download free of charge. Why not check out our online course on inclusion?