The Perfect Recipe for Inclusion

The Great British Bake Off has been a joy to watch, and it's got us thinking about recipes and what ingredients turn an accessible space into one where everyone genuinely feels welcome, involved, and able to take part.

There are few things more British than watching someone nervously open an oven door and hope their showstopper hasn’t collapsed. On The Great British Bake Off, every baker arrives with different ideas, different strengths and their own way of doing things. There isn’t one recipe for success, and that’s part of what makes it so enjoyable to watch.

  Inclusion can be a little like that too. Creating an inclusive school, workplace, event or community isn’t about following one perfect set of instructions. It’s about recognising that people are different, listening to what they need and making sure everyone has a genuine opportunity to participate.   

An accessible space lets someone get through the door. An inclusive space makes sure they are expected, welcomed and able to take part once they are inside.   

A venue might have step-free access, for example, but can a young wheelchair user easily move around once they’re there? Can they sit with their friends? Can they use the facilities? Can they take part in the same activities? Were they considered when the event was being planned in the first place?   

True inclusion goes further than simply removing one physical barrier. It’s about creating places and experiences where people don’t have to repeatedly ask, adapt or miss out. 

The Perfect Recipe for Inclusion 

Serves: Everyone 
Preparation time: The sooner, the better 
Best enjoyed: Together 

Step one: A generous helping of opportunity 

Being included starts with having the opportunity to take part. That might mean being able to join friends on a school trip, travel independently, take part in a sports session, attend a concert or festival, go to university, start a job or simply meet friends somewhere without accessibility becoming the deciding factor. 

Often, it’s these ordinary experiences that matter most. Inclusion shouldn’t mean creating a separate experience for someone. Wherever possible, it means asking how everybody can participate in the same experience in a way that works for them. 

And that starts before someone arrives. If a school, business or event organiser thinks about accessibility during the planning stage, rather than when a problem arises, there are far more opportunities to get things right. 

Step two: Plenty of listening 

There’s one ingredient no inclusive environment can do without: listening. 

It’s easy to assume we know what somebody needs. But two wheelchair users may have completely different experiences, preferences and requirements. That’s why asking matters. 

Instead of deciding what inclusion should look like on somebody else’s behalf, we can ask simple questions: What would make this easier for you? Is there anything stopping you from taking part? What would you change? And then, importantly, listen to the answer. 

Young people are experts in their own lives. Giving them a real voice in decisions about schools, services, transport, activities and communities doesn’t just make those things more inclusive — it can make them better for everybody. 

Step three: A spoonful of flexibility 

There isn’t one way to learn, work, travel, communicate or take part. Sometimes inclusion means being willing to do things differently. 

A small adjustment to the way an activity is organised might allow somebody to participate fully. A little flexibility around where an event takes place could mean a group of friends can all attend. Thinking differently about a classroom, workspace or timetable could remove a barrier before it becomes a problem. 

Flexibility isn’t about lowering expectations. It’s about recognising that the same destination doesn’t always require everybody to take exactly the same route to get there. 

Step four: Accessible spaces from the beginning 

A ramp can make a building accessible. But what happens after the ramp? Are the doorways wide enough? Is there space to move around? Are accessible toilets available and actually usable? Can somebody using a wheelchair sit with their friends at a cinema, theatre or sporting event rather than in a completely separate area? 

And accessibility isn’t only about buildings. Think about transport, websites, school activities, workplaces, concerts, festivals and days out. The strongest accessibility often isn’t something people notice at all. It’s built into an experience from the start. 

When inclusion is considered during planning rather than added afterwards, people are less likely to encounter that frustrating moment of hearing: “We hadn’t thought about that.” 

Step five: Confidence to be yourself 

There’s another side to inclusion that can’t be measured by the width of a doorway. It’s how a place makes you feel. 

Can you ask for what you need without feeling awkward? Can you join an activity without worrying that you’re causing inconvenience? Can you make your own choices rather than having assumptions made for you? Can you just be yourself? 

The most inclusive environments don’t make people feel as though they’re receiving special treatment. They make people feel like they belong there in the first place. 

That sense of belonging can create the confidence to try something new, meet new people, speak up, travel somewhere independently or take the next step towards a goal. 

Step six: A good measure of kindness, but don’t stop there 

Kindness matters. A friendly welcome, a patient answer or someone taking the time to listen can make a real difference to whether a young person feels comfortable taking part. But kindness should never be used as a substitute for proper access, thoughtful planning or lasting change. 

If a space, system or activity excludes someone, the answer should not depend on one helpful person being available at the right moment. Barriers can be changed, and often, the best people to tell us how are the young people experiencing them. 

So, what would young people put in the recipe? 

We’d love to turn the question over to young wheelchair users: if inclusion was a cake, what ingredient would you add? 

• A cup of confidence. 

• Three spoonfuls of friendship. 

• A huge helping of independence. 

• A sprinkle of better accessible transport. 

• More people who listen. 

• The freedom to make your own choices. 

Or perhaps something we haven’t thought of at all. Because perhaps that’s the most important part of the recipe: there shouldn’t be just one person deciding what goes into it.