"Don't talk about us without us
What's important to know when thinking about inclusion? In an interview, Claudia Casanova, President of the Aargau Conference of Disabled People's Organizations (KABO) and MFF 2023 participant, discusses the fundamental principles of a resource-oriented approach.
Don't talk about us without us
"It's very simple: wherever we're talked about, we want to be able to express ourselves and participate in decision-making," explains Claudia Casanova. It's a question of attitude, it's a question of equality. In Switzerland, she explains, this approach is made more difficult by the fact that, unlike in Anglo-Saxon countries for example, there have been no war-disabled people in the recent past who have been respectfully reintegrated into society and the world of work after their service. What's more, Switzerland's wealth of experience very early on led to the creation of special paths for people with disabilities (training in specialized schools, workshop work), paths that many would not wish to continue following, but which are very difficult to leave once the milestones have been reached. In fact, 70% of children attending a special school will later remain in a special environment with homes and workshops.
People with disabilities are not a homogeneous group
"A person in a wheelchair and a visually impaired person have virtually nothing in common when it comes to their accessibility needs," notes Claudia Casanova. The range of disabilities is immense, she points out - and people who are not disabled from birth, but have become so through accident or illness, feel particularly strongly how their position in society changes as soon as they are considered to be disabled.
Taking individual needs into account
As a result, Claudia Casanova believes that in most cases, it makes more sense not to create new, separate structures for teaching music to people with disabilities, but to integrate them into normal teaching, making sure to provide individually adapted support where necessary. "A visually impaired pupil might need a Braille edition of sheet music, a cognitively impaired pupil an assistant."
Be open and creative
"Don't be guided by fear," Claudia Casanova stresses. "When teaching music to people with disabilities, let curiosity and openness guide you instead, and face the challenges serenely, step by step. As a musician and teacher, you're passing on to people the pleasure of music. This is a very important task, and one in which you are virtuosos!
