In late January, the Inclusion International team was in Toronto to run a Listen Include Respect (LIR) training for trainers.

This training is about making sure organisations don’t just talk about inclusion but put it into practice—so that people with intellectual disabilities are included in decision-making at every stage.

Led by self-advocate leader Tia Nelis, the session brought together representatives from Inclusion International members and other community organisations to take the next step in this work.

Participants included Community Living Toronto, Corbrook, Participation House (Durham Region), Community Living Durham North, KW Habilitation, the Canadian Down Syndrome Society, and Community Living Ontario.

What is Listen Include Respect, and Why Does it Matter?

Listen Include Respect is a set of guidelines developed by Inclusion International and Down Syndrome International.

The guidelines are about helping organisations understand how to remove barriers so that people with intellectual disabilities are fully included in organisational work and decision-making.

This training helps self-advocates and staff learn how to use the guidelines in practice. Participants gain the skills to become leaders and trainers, bringing Listen Include Respect into their own organisations.

What Happens in the Training?

Day 1: Laying the Groundwork
Together the group create a safe and welcoming space where everyone can contribute. The first day introduces the core ideas of inclusion and participation and the Listen Include Respect principles. The group talks about what makes training accessible and effective for their organisations.

Day 2: Putting Listen Include Respect into Practice
Participants look in detail at Listen Include Respect How-To Guides and discuss how to apply them in the real-world. They also work together to plan training sessions for their own organisations.

Day 3: Turning Plans into Action
Participants set clear goals and develop action plans, making sure they leave with clear steps on how they will put Listen Include Respect into practice.

By the end of the training, participants know what they want to achieve and how to make it happen, with support along the way.

A Conversation with the Change-Makers

To truly understand the impact of this training, let’s hear from some of the key people involved:

The most important thing is that they can do the training and be able to speak up and show others that people with disabilities can do things when given the chance to help make a difference.

Tia Nelis, Listen Include Respect Trainer

Listen Include Respect Trainer Tia Nelis, Inclusion International

What has been most exciting or rewarding about leading this training?

“Seeing people with disabilities getting so excited about the training. Watching them have fun with the stuff we planned.”

What’s the most important thing you want participants to take from this training?

“The most important thing is that they can do the training and be able to speak up and show others that people with disabilities can do things when given the chance to help make a difference.”

Why is it important for self-advocates to lead during sessions like this?

“It is important because we have the experience and knowledge to talk about how we should be included.

Our voices matter, others can learn from us. It is not just for people with disabilities but others without disabilities can benefit from us teaching and learning about accessibility.

Not everyone understands everything so it helps them too. We need to be at the table and making decisions when they are talking about our lives. Nothing about us without us.”

The training is co-designed and co-delivered with people with intellectual disabilities.

Robin Gibson, Listen Include Respect Trainer, Down Syndrome International

Listen Include Respect Trainer Robin Gibson, Down Syndrome International

Why is the Listen Include Respect approach so important for organisations supporting persons with intellectual disabilities?

“A lot of organisations want to include persons with intellectual disabilities in their work, they often do not have the knowledge on how to do it.

So, using the guidelines makes including people with intellectual disabilities very straightforward, which means it becomes less scary to start this journey.”

How does the training itself reflect the principles of Listen Include Respect?

“The training is co-designed and co-delivered with people with intellectual disabilities. One of the leaders delivering it is a person with intellectual disability and we are doing a lot of hands-on activities to build leadership skills in the self-advocates so that they can become trainers of LIR and support their organisations.”

This training will help us create more inclusive spaces, making sure the people we support have a say in decisions. It will also help us communicate better and support each person’s needs more effectively.

Ann-Marie Binetti, Community Living Toronto

Questions to Ann-Marie Binetti, Community Living Toronto

Why did Community Living Toronto request this training?

“At Community Living Toronto (CLTO), we’re always working to improve and be more inclusive. In 2020, the CLTO /Self Advocates completed a survey that helped shape the Listen Include Respect guidelines.

After meeting Tia at the 2022 Conference of State Parties (COSP) event in New York, we started discussing hosting a training session in Toronto. We’re excited to see it finally happening!”

How did you coordinate with other organisations to organise this training?

“We connected with other Inclusion International members, especially self-advocate groups, to explore hosting a training session in Toronto. Each group took on a task—working with the Inclusion International Team, finding a meeting space, and gathering materials. It was a true team effort!”

What are your organisation’s expectations for this training?

“We hope our CLTO Influencers and staff gain a deeper understanding of the guidelines and become stronger advocates for inclusive meetings and communication. We also aim to build strong training skills for them to train others in future sessions.”

How will the training help you better serve the people you support?

“This training will help us create more inclusive spaces, making sure the people we support have a say in decisions. It will also help us communicate better and support each person’s needs more effectively.”

How do you plan to support your staff to implement what they learn?

“We plan to support our staff by creating a training calendar and sending out a plain language communication that explains the training and invites people to join. We’ll ask about any needed accommodations and start with one session.

After gathering feedback from participants, we’ll adjust the training as needed. Once internal training is complete, we’ll open it up to other self-advocates in the province.”

Is your organisation ready to embark on its journey toward greater inclusion?

If you want to create a more inclusive environment for people with intellectual disabilities in your organisation’s work, we encourage you to reach out.

Contact us at info@inclusion-international.org to learn more about bringing this transformative training to your organisation.