Celebrating International Day of Acceptance
Today is International Day of Acceptance! Here at The Nora Project, we are actively working to build a culture that pushes beyond acceptance through a robust SEL curriculum for students in preschool through high school. Our comprehensive classroom programs provide students with the skills they need to build strong relationships, to treat one another with dignity and respect, and to readily create inclusive communities where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Through TNP curriculum and training, teachers, students, and communities learn to understand acceptance as a continuous process. Students with disabilities become proud of their identities and students without disabilities learn how to create meaningful and sustained relationships with everyone. All students learn to embody an inclusive mindset and embrace one another's individuality!
In honor of International Day of Acceptance, we asked members of team TNP what acceptance means to them (or their families) and what they want readers to know. Here’s what they shared:
“I love everybody because they’re my friends, even if they’re different from me.” When Eliza was asked how she feels when she is included and accepted, her response was a resounding “happy!”
“When I think about the International Day of Acceptance, I think of a world where we see and appreciate all people for exactly who they are now and any version of who they may someday be, knowing there’s no right or wrong way to be a person, that humanness alone is enough.”
“Ultimately, I really hope that the work we’re doing at TNP can move people through multiple stages - past acceptance and into understanding and inclusion. But there are a lot of steps between those places! For me, acceptance is about awareness. Knowing that there are so many other ways to exist in the world than the way that I exist in the world, and being non-judgemental about it. So often when we encounter differences, whether it’s in choices, routines, body function, perspective, etc. it triggers a judgmental response. We are always comparing against what we believe to be the ‘right’ way. Acceptance is knowing that there is not one right way to be, or do, or think.”
“When you meet someone new, you just accept them. You [should] be nice and kind. It’s important to accept and include because that’s how you are a kind person, and a nice friend to everyone.”
“This is a small thing but it can go a long way. I do understand where people are coming from and they want to help. Being a person with a physical disability, I do things slower than everyone else. I just want time! I don’t want people to ask every 5 seconds if they can help or do it for me. I really understand they want to help but sometimes, the biggest help is letting me figure it out for myself. If I get frustrated, let me, I’ll be happier knowing I did it on my own. Accept I am slow and be patient with me, that’s all I need.”
“When I think of acceptance I envision a school, community, and world where my disabled daughter is a fully included, equitable and cherished member of all communities she is in.”
“In our curricula, we often teach that there is no standard or central human experience, and because of that, we all bring differences to the table. Each one of us has differences from other people that make us unique and complex, which contributes to our diverse world. We should be accepting that each of us, with our own differences, bring value and enrich our humanity with diversity and unique human experiences. We should not only accept, but celebrate (!!) the differences that make us who we are.”
“For so many, acceptance is demonstrated by not really drawing attention to the things that make us different from one another. When I started teaching, that is definitely what acceptance meant to me. I made the mistake of not talking about differences, but rather modeling acceptance as talking about what makes us all the same. As I have grown as an educator and a mother, acceptance has become very different. Acceptance is recognizing that there is so much beauty and power in what makes us each different. The things that make us unique are the things that we need to celebrate, talk about, and lift up in one another. Once I started doing this in my classroom, the connection I had with my students and that they had with each other was deepened.”
“When I think of the word acceptance, I think of welcome. A community that is diverse and welcomes and celebrates each person as unique and valuable. There is no hierarchy, no one dominant group whose job is to accept everyone that is different from their group. We are all equal, all have value, all should be included. My hope is that one day, there will be no need for a day dedicated to acceptance - it will be a natural part of life, expected and cherished.”
At TNP, we know that acceptance is just one part of allowing someone to unapologetically be themselves. However, we also acknowledge that acceptance is not the same as truly supporting and believing in all a person brings to the world – therefore, we must strive for more. We encourage you to celebrate International Day of Acceptance by wholly embracing the people in your life – today, and every day!
Click here to learn more about the history of International Day of Acceptance.