We have had the privilege of working with many remarkable colleagues who share life long passions to build a world that welcomes the talents and capacities of every person into participation in community life. We have created collections (libraries) of some of the key articles, videos and resources created individually and collaboratively. Most of these are ‘free downloads”, and many are treasured resources that reflect decades of work and development.
These are indeed a good start on a curated research archive as seen through by some of the key creators and actors in cultural struggle to introduce and nurture basic concept like ‘inclusion’ and ‘person-centered’ work
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John O’Brien and his wife and partner Connie Lyle O’Brien are life long learners from social innovators who create better community lives with people with disabilities. In addition to co-developing some widely used person-centered planning approaches and hosting many learning opportunities for people with disabilities, their families, and human service workers, they are insightful and sensitive writers. Inclusion Press has been privileged to publish their books.
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Judith Snow was a remarkable leader, philosopher, teacher, artist, and creator. Without Judith’s pioneering leadership, we would not have the Joshua Committee, the Circle of Friends and more. She was the first person in Canada to battle for independent funding for a person living with complex disabilities. Judith didn’t believe in disability – just Giftedness and Capacity. She wrote, lectured, traveled the world and lived every day to the full till her death in May, 2015.
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John McKnight was the co-founder of ABCD – Asset Based Community Development. – an institute, books, world leadership. A remarkable thought leader and storyteller. John’s books and workshops created a global network that continues to mobilize citizen’s gifts and capacities. John was also one of the founding faculty of the Toronto Summer Institutes – for 34 years. John passed in December 2024, but his inspirational leadership continues.
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Marsha Forest was a relentless life long advocate for Inclusion. Marsha rpent her life teaching and supporting families and educators to create inclusion for all. She met Judith Snow and Jack Pearpoint (who she married). The result was the Circle of Friends, and then the MAPS process and later PATH – conversational approaches to reveal and nurture the gifts and capacities in every person – no exceptions. Marsha was the founding mother of the Summer Institutes at McGill and later Toronto. The impact was global. Marsha passed in 2000 after a 12 year battle with cancer.
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[ NOTE: I recommend we have brief bios here with the complete bio on each individual page. (Currently, I just cut the longer bios at the end, so they are incomplete. To save on time, I will load all the change makers here after we finalize the appearance of this section. ]
[ Quick View: drop down menu that lists all change makers ]
Creative genius with a focus on inventing, teaching and delivering full life options for people with developmental disabilities.
A relentless advocate for inclusion teaching, writing for all students in regular classrooms.
Independent Canadian Publisher and catalyst for Inclusion, Diversity, Teamwork and CHANGE!
Co-leader of Inclusion Press, former Director of Disabilities in Rhode Island, facilitator, presenter.
Community organizer, social entrepreneur, author, parent activist, co-founder of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN).
The original “Roving Listener, community builder, founder of the Learning Tree network.
Co-conspirators creating support networks that build community engagement for everyone with workshops and videos.
A life long Scottish advocate for people with disabilities challenging us through writing and training.
A remarkable leader, author and advocate; currently a teaching assistant in the Faculty of Education at Syracuse University.
Co-Chief of WAiS - Western Australia's Individualized Services. Created remarkable videos about people who use services.
A brilliant balladeer – writing and singing songs about human serviceland.
A leader whose mission is to rebuild the language, culture and spirit of his people in a post-colonial self-sustaining nation.
Creator of the Citizen Centered Leadership Program now collaborating with Citizen Network.
Catalysts for committed citizens in Manchester CT to support each other for over five decades.
Founder/director of the 4Rs creating capacities to cultivate understanding and reconciliation. across cultures
Former CEO at the Arc of Rensselaer County in NY State, authored Creating Blue Space.
Catalyst for inclusion in the Netherlands and Europe since 1991. A colleague, author, playwright & global cyclist.
Founder of the Centre for Welfare Reform – and co-founder of Citizen Network a social movement to advance citizenship.
A Life long advocate for full inclusion currently sharing his ‘Star Rafts’ with the world.
An inventor/creator/author mobilized street people in Beat the Street, Created the U-CAN Dictionary and now linking literacy to suicide.
Co-founders of Scottish Human Services. Heather is currently an EU Member of Parliament. Pete is a visionary leader for inclusion and food justice, now directing Nourish Scotland.
Rajesh organized Indian villages for decades, founded Participatory Research Institute – PRIA. Budd was the Secretary General of the International Council for Adult Education – and now UNESCO co-Chair Community Based Research.
Founder and CEO Beth Gallagher, designs personalized supports. Kirk Hinkleman, Director of Life Works supports people with challenging needs. Together, they co-authored the books Intentional Teaming and the Liberty Plan.
Teacher and workshop leader for SRV and Normalization, focused on friendships between people with and without disabilities.
Researcher, author at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration. She created a powerful practical manual.
Jeff Strully, a disability services pioneer, combines 50+ years’ experience with personalized support and lifelong learning.
These pioneers preceded the word inclusion…
A pioneer in the disability-rights movement and founder of the World Institute on Disability.
A brilliant educational psychologist committed to inclusion and 'troubled youth' and changed policies in England to support inclusion.
A remarkable African American civil rights organizer from Philadelphia who seized houses to inspire people to action.
Revered leader, scholar, teacher, and advocate who believed in Positive Approaches for People with Difficult Behaviour.
A life-long advocate for literacy. As President of Frontier College created literacy coalitions outside the educational field,
Educator, advocate, rule breaker who changed the culture for people with disability labels to be fully included.
