Ethically transforming inclusion: From being 'in' or 'out' to being integral

Abstract

Ethically transforming inclusion: From being 'in' or 'out' to being integral J. R. Clapton (J.Clapton@griffith.edu.au)* *Griffith University, Meadowbrook. ????. Queensland, Australia Aim: By undertaking conceptual research, this paper will explore the ethical significance of inclusion. Method: Using a contemporary applied ethics framework, three expressions of inclusion presented within a dominant socio-ethical context will be mapped. These are Profound Exclusion,Technical Inclusion and Legislative Inclusion. The implicit constructions about personhood within these expressions are also analysed. A fourth expression, that of Ethical Inclusion, will also be presented. Results: In undertaking this mapping process, an evocative question becomes apparent: 'How ethically defensible is the notion of inclusion for people with intellectual disability?' If Ethical Inclusion is to be achieved for people with intellectual disability, dominant ethical constructions must be dismantled; and notions of personhood redefined. Conclusions: A conceptual ethical analysis reveals that instead of a focus on inclusion, a more ethically defensible goal should be about being 'integral to', rather than being 'in' or 'out'.