From Student to Advocate: Michael’s Mission for Authentic Inclusion
Written by Adrianna Arsenault, Interview and transcript by Tooba Abid
Michael Jacques is an advocate, author, and public speaker whose work challenges long-standing assumptions about disability, learning, and potential. He identifies as autistic and as having an intellectual disability, and he speaks from lived experience about what inclusion must look like in schools and communities. Over the past decade, Michael has delivered more than 600 presentations across Canada and internationally, spoken to nearly 8,000 police cadets in Ontario, and reached tens of thousands of readers through two books that focus on belonging, dignity, and voice.
Michael’s journey into advocacy began in Grade 10 through Reaction for Inclusion, a youth-led Ontario program focused on leadership and authentic inclusion. That experience marked a shift. “It helped me to have a strong voice,” Michael explained. When he returned to his high school, he began pushing for change—not abstractly, but through action. “I was more of an advocate for other people like myself,” he said, locating his advocacy firmly within the community rather than individual achievement.
Those efforts led to visible and meaningful changes within his school. Michael worked with administrators and teachers to ensure students with disabilities were included in decision-making and school culture. Representation mattered. “The first thing I said is someone with disabilities needs to be part of the student council,” he noted, emphasizing that inclusion must go beyond presence. Students could not simply be symbolic additions; they needed meaningful roles, responsibilities, and influence within school life. He also ensured that students with disabilities were represented in the yearbook and school events, making them visible and valued.
These experiences shaped Michael’s educational path and sense of possibility. “I got my high school diploma with all the great accommodations,” he said. That success led to his first public speaking engagement, where he addressed parents and educators. The moment was daunting. “My head was down,” he recalled. But in that moment, Michael drew on what he had learned through the Reaction for Inclusion program: he remembered to speak his truth, to have a strong voice, and above all, to be himself.
Since then, Michael has spoken to students, educators, community groups, corporations, and police services. He takes particular meaning from the impact his story has across generations. “It might be parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters—everybody gets a little something out of my presentation,” he explained. “Because it’s inspirational.”
For young people in particular, representation can be transformative. “They have someone in front of them who is like them. They might be struggling in reading, writing, or just going to school, or whatever the case might be. And they see me, and they see everybody has that potential. If he can do it, I can do it,” Michael said, underscoring the power of visibility.
That same message is at the heart of Michael’s writing. His first book, Can’t Read, Can’t Write, Here’s My Book, has sold over 22,000 copies. Holding the finished book for the first time remains a defining moment. “That was a great day as well to show that anything is possible,” he said. His second book, I Belong, Can I Play?, extends this message to children, reinforcing that belonging begins early.
For Michael, inclusion is not about sameness, but about shared space, respect, and dignity. “You don’t see the differences,” he said when describing inclusive classrooms. “They might be doing different work, but they’re together in the space.” Support, he emphasized, should not isolate students. “You might have an EA or someone that’s assisting, but they should be assisting everybody.”
When asked what he wished educators understood, Michael returned to a core belief: “Everybody has value and worth.” He also stressed that disability is not a uniform experience. “Just because we have the same disability on paper doesn’t mean we are all alike,” he explained, calling for individualized, responsive approaches rather than assumptions.
Looking ahead, Michael remains committed to learning, growth, and continued advocacy. “Like a teacher, I’m always learning something new,” he said. His goal is simple and unwavering: “To make sure that we keep on doing the great stuff that we’re doing.”
Michael’s story is not an exception—it is a challenge. It asks educators, institutions, and communities to rethink what inclusion truly requires. With the right support, his journey makes one truth unmistakable: “anything’s possible.”
To learn more about Michael’s advocacy work or to purchase a copy of one of his books, visit https://www.heresmybook.com.