“I belong to this place and I act from responsibility for it.” In a good community more people can say, “My contribution is welcome and so am I.” There are more community settings that cultivate invitations to participate. Community members spend time listening to people in places where they are comfortable, discovering what they care about and what their capacities are. People reach out to ask clearly for active involvement. Community members are thoughtful about the ways people are welcomed and purposeful about greeting and involving newcomers. They also give thought to making their community accessible.

Community members can see how to contribute. They assist people to see a pathway that connects where they are now with a way of being involved. They think through the work to assure that there is something meaningful for each interested person to do. And they offer support so people understand how to be a part of things, both the tasks and the social dimension.

Good communities reach out and invite people with disabilities to participate, community members listen to discover what people with disabilities are good at and help them to find something to do that is meaningful for the person with a disability and for the community as a whole. They help the person with a disability be able to say, “My contribution is welcome and so am I.”