No doubt, the findings on the inclusiveness of Singaporeans are appalling, and something definitely has to be done to amend this ("S'poreans 'don't walk the talk' on special needs kids"; May 31).

I agree that throwing money at it is not the best way to solve the issue.

To promote inclusiveness, one has to first know what the term means.

It does not simply refer to accepting disabled or vulnerable people; it also means accepting others with any sort of difference from us, to be ready and willing to sacrifice a part of ourselves - be it time, effort or money to help them - and to regard them as equals.

We may seem far from attaining this goal, but there are ways to foster better relationships with people around us.

We should start the ball rolling in individual communities.

Within communities, residents can take part in activities organised by town councils.

This can create more social interaction among residents, which could slowly and eventually translate into inclusiveness.

Cheryl Chua Xing Jun (Miss)