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#Inclusive Journey
Journey to Blackpool- The journey started in Crediton at 8:00 am, this train then took us to Exeter St David’s where we then got a train to Bristol. On the train to Bristol we sat near the window which we looked out and saw the M5. Whilst we were waiting at Bristol we went and got a cup of tea. At all the stations we visited we had got some assistance, each person was helpful and nice. We got on the train to Blackpool and again sat by the window. Whist I was on the train I did some colouring. There was an accessible toilet on the train which I found very useful as it was a long journey. When we had got to Blackpool it was still sunny as it was 1:30 pm. In Blackpool- When we got to Blackpool we got a taxi to the hotel to get settled in, at the hotel the people who worked there used signing which was helpful and made me very happy. There was also some dancers at the hotel who were talking about what they do. We went on a walk on the seafront waiting for it to get dark so we could see the Christmas tree lights. For dinner we had fish a chips which was yummy. When the Christmas lights got turned on there was fireworks which were very beautiful. The hotel was particularity nice because I got to have a bath. The next day we went on a tour around Blackpool in a taxi that took 2 hours. We then sadly had to go home all to soon. Journey back home- We got the train back in the afternoon it was the same route back as it was on the way there. On the train back I got a tea from the refreshments cart, the lady who served me was very nice. On the way back I sat by the window again. When we got back to Exeter it was still light. We got back at Crediton at 6.30 pm it was less light, I then got dropped off at home. Published by Eliot Palfreman Our journey started out in Crediton early, so early that I don’t remember the time.
The journey continued in Exeter at St David’s train station, where we got a train to Clapham Junction, and later the Overground tube to Shepherds Bush. The train to Clapham Junction left Exeter at 7:25 am and got there at 10:36 am. On the train we had all managed to get a seat that was at a table. As there was only 4 seats and 5 of us one had to sit at the opposite table and that had ended up being me, Abbie. As the train kept going more people got on, I ended up with 3 strangers on the same table as me. An addtional problem we had faced on the train was there was no refreshments cart till Salisbury (the one who was meant to get on at Axminster did not turn up), this was hard because we all had to be up early in order to catch our train so people were tired and wanting coffee and food (Abi and Dominic especially!). You may be thinking why did we do this? Why is this person documenting their journey on the train? How did I end up reading this? Well reader, that is what I am going to explain. It all started with a new project called ‘Inclusive Journeys’ which we are doing with the company Great Western Railway. This project is to help people understand what it may be like for people to get the train if they have 'Learning Disabilities' or 'Autism Labels'. Each time we go on the train we fill out the #Inclusive Journeys questionnaire, which was created by our very own Tom Burns with the help of everyone within The Turning Tides Project. Written by Abbie Morl, Published by Eliot Palfreman  'Up until this last year, my understanding of ‘disabilities’ was very minimal. For a long time, disability was shrouded in this cloud of unknowing, primarily, because my exposure to it was equally as minimal.
I’ve taken away a great many things from working at Turning Tides and its helped to blow away the cloud of unknowing to help me discover a great many things. Perhaps, most importantly:
I am incredibly grateful for the education I have received throughout my life, however looking back I can’t help but think there could have been better experiences with regards to ‘disability’. Working at TTTP has given me knowledge that I believe the wider society lacks. It allowed the cloud, casting an antiquated shadow over disability, to quickly dissipate. I soon realised that ‘disabilities’ were simply differences, that we’re all different and that these idiosyncrasies and differences are qualities that should be cherished as shining beacons of individuality. Issues of ‘capability’ then become null and void when people’s qualities are embraced and projects are presented thoughtfully and appropriately. The stuffy old stereotype surrounding disability is boring and outdated. We recently premiered our Heritage Project to the community, we perform together as a band all over the South West. We upload and edit podcasts for the world to hear, we’re researching what could make train access across the South West more accessible and we run an entire Tea Rooms teaching valuable skills, such as cooking (that I more than anyone needed). All this was done as a team, ‘with’ not ‘on behalf of‘ individuals with labels. I am excited to see where the future takes TTTP and I hope they can continue to blow away the cloud of unknowing that surrounds disability for others too, to show the talent and potential of more and more people. On a larger scale, I hope the Social Model Approach can eventually be integrated into mainstream society, to unlock even more potential. Written by Tom Wood, Published By Eliot Palfreman
The Turning Tides Project believes that everyone has the right to equal access to music, the arts and life.
We intend to make this right a reality for people with 'learning disability' or 'autism' labels in Devon. The Turning Tides Project is a Community Interest Company; a non-profit organisation. Our focus is on the work that we do and the difference that we make. Principles of TTTP
We seek to demonstrate the application of a Social Model Approach in everything we do… and we don’t do anything unless we think it might be fun.
The support and development of an Equal Access Workforce is critical to the maintenance and development of a healthy TTP. An excellent Workforce Development Approach is essential to any healthy organisation. In January 2018 The Turning Tides Project (TTTP) began to map a workforce development route that would:
This is a brief summary of the work we’ve done so far, some links to the detail that you can now find on our web site and an invitation for you to get involved in what we do next. The Route
People arrive with us from different places, with different knowledge, experience, different aspirations and backgrounds. If its equal access then it needs to be a route that can start anywhere. The route sets out a whole pathway from participant to CE, within TTTP or to a high profile position of national and international influence.
We strongly believe that in an #Inclusive environment, everyone is capable of anything they really want to do and are prepared to work hard to achieve. An Equal Access Workforce Development Approach supports the creation of that #inclusive environment The Process
1. Starts from where people are
2. Looks at what they bring with them 
3. Uses a reflective questionnaire to frame discussions about skills, knowledge and development needs
4. Provides an inventory of resources available to meet learning and development needs
5. Provides a critical appraisal of each resource, in terms of its support of or compatibility with taking a Social Model Approach.
The Turning Tides Project is explicit about its commitment to taking a Social Model Approach. It’s essential that the people who are part of TTTP understand what that means and demonstrate that understanding in every action they take: The healthy growth of TTTP is dependent upon that.
Our critical appraisal is not solely about the quality of the huge and growing range of learning and development resources available. It’s about whether those resources support or, at least, are compatible with a Social Model Approach by asking the questions that we think are critical to establishing that. We are sure that the work we’re doing has a much wider relevance and applicability to the:
www.theturningtidesproject.org.uk/developing_our_workforce.html And the music specific component by starting here: www.theturningtidesproject.org.uk/equal-access-music-leaders-pilot.html We’d welcome your involvement and your feedback
Do you have comments about the process we’ve defined or the tools we’ve developed?
Would you like to offer appraisals of resources not yet on our map, so we can add them? Would you like to add more information or links to a resource we’ve appraised? Do you want to tell us about a resource you offer? Please get in touch: www.theturningtidesproject.org.uk/contact-us.html
Everything The Turning Tides Project does is open and inclusive.
We do what we do because we intend to make a difference. If you would like to use any of our materials you are welcome to do so but please acknowledge TTTPs ownership. See the change, be the change, make the change – thank you!
As recently promised, a further look into Tom's CME course and qualification as an Inclusive Practitioner.
We talked a lot about the course and Tom's views and experiences, and tried to shorten it down into 'Podcast-sized chunks'... we think we nearly achieved that, and involved the Tuesday Making Waves group and the Friday Music Session group in creating what we have recorded below. There are a number of points, some of which are explored and revisited. Reflection is an important part of the work we deliver and are involved in - this is no exception. Since having these conversations, Hugo has now begun his Inclusive Practitioner course! Interviewers: Dominic Palfreman, Otis Butterfield, Lewis Rutley and Alix Mason Interviewee: Tomas Burns  For the past year, I have been taking a course at Bristol Plays Music called ‘The Inclusive Practitioner' through which I gained a Certificate for Music Educators Level 4. I had been taking monthly trips to Bristol to attend sessions with a group of other people who came from from different musical backgrounds and a variety of working environments. It was very interesting to see how other people lead music session and one of the days in which we shared each others practise, by leading mini-workshops was very interesting.
Some of the other practitioners on the course could be labelled as ‘disabled’. BPM (Bristol Plays Music) made ‘reasonable adjustments’, such as giving audio descriptions when watching films and videos on course days, and providing an alternative Powerpoint, making the course more accessible. The coursework that we submitted did not have to be done as a written essay, but could be a film, an audio diary or other formats. This meant that the work submitted was multi-sensory and the use of written language was not necessary. The course is aimed at music leaders as a resource to develop their skills as music leaders working with “disabled young people”. The course included looking into young people’s musical development as a major project within the course. I think this was particularly useful for me, as it informed some of the work that I have done with Turning Tides working in primary schools. However, I think that one way in which the course could be improved is by looking at the how older people develop musically. My work with the Turning Tides Project, is not only with young people, but with people of all ages. I think one of the things that I learned from taking the course was to evaluate my work. As part of my coursework, I built up a personal portfolio and as a relatively inexperienced music leader, I found this very useful. This allowed me to reflect on my practise and find areas in which I could improve. One thing that came up that I find was an important area for me to improve was my confidence. I think that this is something that I have greatly improved on in the past year, but there is always room for improvement. Written by Tom Burns, Published by Dom Palfreman ** There will be a follow up blog/vlog to this one, that takes a look at the course in further detail**
Let’s start off with what accessible means, Google says, “accessible means a place which can be reached or entered”. When I go to a new place I get really anxious as I do not know who the people are around me and I have never been to this certain place before. If I am with somebody that I trust then this makes going to new places and meeting new people easier. Plans are important for me as they help me know what I am going to do or what to expect on the day. If plans change I prefer to know in advance so that I do not get myself in a state of panic. Things become inaccessible when I’m confused about what is going on, as this makes me feel angry at the world and at myself. It is hard for me to communicate to people sometimes, so this makes day to day life harder as it is hard to see what I need. I fully understand that sometimes it is hard to know what people’s needs are when they are emotional and not physical, but this means that people can ignore me and not give me the support I need because I am human. When I am able to do things to the fullest, I get really happy and I feel like I have a contribution to make. The only thing that stands in my way of things being accessible, are society and other people. Written by Abbie Morl, Published by Dom Palfreman Written as part of assessing what makes Music Tech Qualifications inaccessible.  Page Turners is a new project starting this April. It is all about the magic of reading and making stories that capture our imagination, accessible, whilst better informing others and ourselves about society and culture.
World Book Day seemed the perfect day to share our new project with each other and to start writing this blog, having a couple of weeks passed we are now ready to share the news with the world! Thanks to the Clare Milne and Devon Community Foundations, we’re pleased to introduce Page Turners. Page Turners is all about books, reading and story-telling together. Books can calm us, can make us happy, excited, curious and proud. They can make us laugh and give us hope. We believe everyone should have equal access to the stories that make us feel this way. Not only this, but stories create, shape and reflect our culture. Their power is not insular and closed, but open and has links to everyday life. It is exclusion from this that disables and it is the role of Page Turners to find and remove though barrier. Page Turners has two parts. One part is about enabling access to the stories everyone should be able to experience, through a book-club held on the second and fourth Thursday evening of each month. Costumes, accents, puppetry, Makaton, dance and song will all be used to make the stories more fun and accessible. The other part of Page Turners is about teaching people that want to learn, to read or to improve their reading. We will work with local organisations, businesses and anyone with a passion for reading to bring our favourite tales to life (Contact Us to be a part of this!). We will be inviting authors special to us to join Page Turners – maybe to read to us or with us and talk about their own experiences writing and reading. In the future, we will be aiming to write and publish stories and poems that take a Social Model approach. If stories shape our culture, then let’s be the ones that contribute to its shaping. It is up to everyone to change the world, one page at the time. Many thanks to the Clare Milne Foundation and Devon Community Foundation for helping to turn that page. Rebecca and Tom are managing Page Turners and throughout March will be planning, ready for the grand opening in April. For news and updates see our webpage: www.theturningtidesproject.org.uk/page_turners.html. If you’d like to be part of Page Turners, email Tom at tom1.tttp@outlook.com. We welcome any ideas adding to, changing or developing the current Page Turners logo! Written by Tom Wood, Published by Dom Palfreman Books, World Book Day, Page, Turners, Equal Access, Very Hardworking, I’ll give you a Hash Tag, Inclusive Access, Book Club, Inclusive, Awesome, Turning Tides, TTTP, The Turning Tides Project, Crediton, Tea Rooms, Coming Soon. There is much conjecture surrounding equal access in companies and organisations. Many proclaim Social Model readiness in light of a changing society. Yet, as I would come to quickly realize, an environment created on someone’s behalf, without their experience will likely not be equal. Creating truly inclusive facilities and discovering the right amount of support wanted requires discourse with those who want it (or don’t want it, as the case may be). Assumptions and guesses invariably fall short of the realities of people who face unequal access.
Recently we were tasked with writing a questionnaire for a music studio that we had been having some difficulty with, regarding accessing an Open Day. The questions were on the topics of accessibility, support and inclusivity of the course and the facilities. I found this to be an extremely difficult task and required the help of the group with every question; this is only natural - No amount of reflection, introspection, guesswork or hypothesizing will help me when I have never had to fight for my own equal access. I have no personal experience and therefore no reliable knowledge. Of course, I can learn, but I need experts to educate me on their own personal experience – a true first-person perspective. In initial conversations with the music studio, a member of the marketing team had promised our visit to be fully facilitated and the group welcomed with open arms. They had left and been replaced by a new member of the marketing team, who, in a recent discussion had stated they were “worried about us coming.” I wondered how the studio could go from taking a (possibly) Social Model Approach to not – and not seeking help or asking question to change that. It highlighted the tentative and hazy nature of the idea of an equally accessible environment. What one individual saw as an equal access environment, another did not. It emphasized a lack of knowledge and experience that they, much like me, did not possess and were afraid to explore. Similarly, to how I had benefitted from the knowledge of my experienced teachers, the studio would also clearly gain insight from the group’s visit and could, in turn, use that knowledge to create an environment with improved equal access. Claiming to have a fully inclusive environment, deemed inclusive by those that have never had any issue with access proves both ironic and problematic. Conversely, not being willing to listen or assuming the environment immediately is not, is just as problematic. The questionnaire was a good start and proved a willingness to engage and listen, but as I have come to realize, there are no halfway marks with equal access and an environment is not equal until those that face the inequality say it is. None the less, the first step is to try – that is the most important part! Examples such as this highlight the decaying peripheries of unequal access as more and more companies are challenged to reconsider their environments. Companies needn't be worried. There is no universally applicable answer to creating an equal environment and it is understood that it is an issue not solved instantly. Rather, the process is a journey. It is not learnt innately, and neither is it expected to be. What is expected is a conscientious effort towards learning and towards listening to those that have the experience and knowledge, to the experts. Those with first hand personal experience. Written by Tom Wood, Published by Dominic Palfreman |
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