Tribune-Star Editorial: Sensory project demonstrates positives of inclusion

The word inclusion by definition encompasses everyone. According to Merriam-Webster inclusion is “the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded.”

Sounds logical, right? Noble, even.

However, you wouldn’t think the word would have much of a positive connotation left. With ongoing contentious debates about DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies and their intent, the word has been politicized and demoted.

That’s unfortunate. Such a weighty label holds safety within its bounds.

Examples can be found everywhere. From the playground to the lunchroom to the classroom. In organizations and institutions striving for equity. And in churches.

A prime example is Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church’s special needs ministry coordinator Jess Berryhill. Berryhill wears many hats. She runs the Friendship House, a home for college students and young adults with disabilities, the first of its kind in Indiana. She leads the church’s special needs ministry, Grace Unlimited, which provides opportunities for children, students and adults both in the church and the greater Terre Haute community. She’s organized special needs proms for teens and adults with disabilities, first as part of the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine and later a yearly event of the same nature, Grace Gala.

Her latest project reaches even further into our community. Through her direction and help from volunteers, she has partnered with businesses and organizations to create sensory stations, allowing those with disabilities the tools to feel more … wait for it … included.

Also, safe. Welcomed. And, simply, “okay” in environments neurotypical people have no problem navigating but ones in which neurodivergent people struggle.

A sensory station is a portable collection of sensory resources, as explained in Friday’s Tribune-Star by reporter Sue Loughlin. The sensory stations/backpacks include headphones to cancel noise, sensory toys — called sensory fidgets — and a weighted plush as well as identifying signs.

The project is funded by a grant through the Center for Congregations in Indiana, which received funding through Lilly Endowment.

The Vigo County Public Library, Terre Haute Police Department, Susie’s Place and Council on Domestic Abuse are just a few of the agencies and nonprofits already participating. We applaud them for stepping up and recognizing the importance of inclusion, and we encourage others to join the project.

“Our goal was to have an inclusive church, but our bigger goal is to have a town where our friends and neighbors with disabilities can thrive. This is just one small step to do just that,” Berryhill said of the project, called Haute Unlimited.

Rosa Staley, a dental hygienist in the office of Dr. Luke Staley, explained her motivation: “We want to know how to better help them and help them not be afraid.”

Thanks to Berryhill and her community partners, they won’t have to be.