Becoming an activist: A story of parental advocacy for inclusive education

Parental advocacy is recognised as a powerful driver for inclusive education reform. In Australia, the parental voice remains strong, despite changes to inclusive legislation and policies. In Queensland (a state of Australia), a new avenue for parental voice has recently been established - the Queensland Collective for Inclusive Education (QCIE). QCIE is “a group of families who promote inclusive lives for [their] children with disability and work together to make inclusive schools a reality for all” (QCIE, 2019). Through community narrative, members of QCIE tell the story of how the group came into being and reflect on 1] the power of collective vs. individual advocacy, 2] how parental advocacy has evolved in the face of social media, 3] what drives parents to become activists, and 4] the cost to parents of working for inclusive education reform. The use of narrative foregrounds the importance of story-telling in parental efforts for change and provides deep insights into the impact on and of parents in the inclusive education movement. QCIE’s story challenges common views of parents as either unreasonable and emotional or passive and uninvolved, and instead paints a picture of a considered, organised, committed, and strategic group of individuals. It reinforces the critical role of the parent movement if inclusive education is to continue to progress.