Top Tips for Why Inclusion Is More than Awareness
Dementia Action Week takes place from 18th – 24th May 2026.
Why This Matters
Awareness of dementia has increased, yet many people living with dementia still experience exclusion in everyday life.
This can show up in subtle ways through rushed interactions, inaccessible environments or assumptions about capacity and risk.Dementia Action Week challenges us to move beyond awareness and ask what inclusion looks like in practice, across services, communities and everyday encounters.
This Week’s Top Tips
Noticing
- Notice where systems prioritise efficiency over understanding
- Pay attention to environmental barriers such as noise, signage or layout
- Look for assumptions about what is “too difficult” for someone with dementia
Responding
- Adapt communication rather than avoiding conversation
- Offer reassurance without taking control away
- Take time to explain changes, even when they seem small
Creating the conditions
- Involve people living with dementia in shaping services where possible
- Advocate for reasonable adjustments rather than workarounds
- Remember that inclusion benefits everyone, not only people with dementia
A Gentle Reminder
Inclusion is not about special treatment. It is about removing unnecessary barriers so people can participate and belong.
Over to You
You might like to notice one barrier this week, physical, procedural or attitudinal, and consider one small change that could reduce it.
Dementia Action Week invites us to turn values into visible action.
