Mary O’Flaherty & Brighid CahalaneINTO Equality Committee

INTO Equality Conference 2010

Fáilte – Inclusion in the Teaching Profession

Discussion Group – Disability and Civil/Marital Status

Is it a Disability?

• Manic Depression• Residual back injury• Alcoholism• Diabetes• Epilepsy• Dyslexia• Literacy problem• Morbid obesity

Definitions – EPSEN Act 2004

“special educational needs” means, in relation to a person, a restriction in the capacity of the person to participate in and benefit from education on account of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or learning disability, or any other condition which results in a person learning differently from a person without that condition and cognate words shall be construed accordingly:

Definitions – Disability Act 2005

“disability”, in relation to a person, means a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment:

Is it a Disability?

• Manic depression? Yes

• Residual back pain? Yes

• Alcoholism? Yes

• Diabetes? Yes

• Epilepsy? Yes

Is it a Disability?

• Dyslexia? Yes, under Equal Status Act

• Literacy problem? No

• Morbid obesity? Not clear. Employer imputed the disability onto the employee

Equality CommitteeSurvey 2009

Examples of disabilities from the survey:

• Back problems

• Hearing loss

• Voice problems

• Depression

• Stress

Equality CommitteeSurvey 2009

• Alopecia

• Mild Multiple Sclerosis

• Nodes on vocal cords

• HIV

Reasonable Accommodation

• Class allocation

• Car parking close to building

• Vacuuming classroom

• No bleach in classroom

Reasonable Accommodation

• Microphone use

• Time off work

• Ground floor classroom

• Sound field systems

Discussion Group Questions

1) To what extent do you believe that teachers with disability feel recognised and included in the teaching profession and in our staffrooms?

2) What steps are necessary to accommodate a teacher with physical or mental disability in the workplace, and in what circumstances (if any) is a school justified in pleading an inability to accommodate?

Discussion Group Questions

3) What awareness-raising measures are required

(i) In the teaching profession(ii) In school management(iii) Elsewhere…

in relation to the rights of persons with a disability to be accommodated?