Some of Us…Some of us humans cannot walk,

Some of us cannot even talk,

Some of us get picked on for having red hair,

Some of us spend our lives in a wheelchair,

Some of us don’t care how other people feel,

Some of us feel pain that will never heal,

Some of us find it hard to breathe,

Some of us feel our life we’d like to leave.

Some of us humans have to learn

That the way we live, others may yearn.

Some of us humans have to see

The way that you should treat thee and ME!

Writing YourDisability Equality Scheme

Sarah Herbert (Learning Needs Advisory Teacher)

Cathie Routley (Teacher of the Hearing Impaired)

DDA definition of Disability

• A person is disabled if they have a mental or physical impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities.

• New inclusions…

Who are your disabled stakeholders?

• About 7% of children may count as disabled

• About 6.76% children in primary and secondary schools are at school action plus or have a statement

• 24% of adults may count as disabled

• About 2.1 million disabled parents in the UK with children under 16.

• Nearly 4% of teachers declare a disability

Why does it matter?

• Talk video

What would you see if a similar video was made to illustrate the difficulties that a disabled adult or child has in school?

Life Chances

Disabled people are only half as likely as non disabled people to be qualified to degree level and are twice as likely as non disabled people to have no qualification at all. This pattern of inequality has not changed over time.

Employment

• Nearly half of the disabled population of working age in Britain are economically inactive. However, one third of inactive disabled people would like to work, compared with just under one quarter of non disabled people.

• The average gross hourly pay of a disabled person is 10% lower than that of the average non-disabled person.

Why? What’s New?

• Requirement to be proactive in ensuring equal treatment.

• About cultural change in institutions, weaving disability equality into all aspects of the school’s policies and practices.

• About a whole organisational approach that develops over time.

How Does it Fit?

The Six Requirements1. Promote equality of opportunity between disabled

persons and other persons.2. Eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Act.3. Eliminate harassment of disabled persons that is

related to their disabilities.4. Promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons.5. Encourage participation by disabled persons in public

life; and6. Take steps to take account of disabled persons’

disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons.

Activity

Take planning tool 1 and in your groups fill in each square with possible actions that a school could take.

Activity

• Take planning tool 2 and give some of the actions you would like to take marks out of 4 for impact and do-ability.

• Then use the matrix (planning tool 3) to prioritise for your school.

(those items that score high on do-ability and impact will obviously be your priorities)

The Stages

 1. Involving Disabled People2. Mapping (audit)3. Setting the DES and action plan4. Assessing the impact of policies and activities5. Getting on with it6. Report and review

The first Disability Equality Scheme

• The DRC accept that your first scheme will be slightly different from subsequent schemes, as you will be setting up systems for consultation.

• Your first action plan is likely to grow as you undertake impact assessments and identify more action that is necessary.

Enforcement

  Ultimately, legal action can be taken against schools if they fail to comply with the DED. The DRC, its successor, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), or any individual, who believes that a school is failing to meet its general duty can ask a court to judicially review the actions (or inactions) of an authority. The DRC and the CEHR can also take action against schools who have not met their specific duties by issuing a compliance notice which is enforced in the courts.

How to Structure your Scheme

do

listen

write

First Step

Form a working party:

Disabled people

Senior School Leader

SENCo

Other staff member

Governor

Parent

Pupil Voice

1.1

• Whole school statement regarding the vision and values of the school with ref to disability equality.

• Mentions staff, parents and pupils

1.2

• Statement about how disabled stakeholders have been and will be involved in the DES.

1.3

• Gathering Information– on the effect of school policies on:

• recruitment development and retention of disabled employees

• educational opportunities and achievements of disabled pupils

• How information will be used for reviewing the action plan and to inform subsequent schemes.

1.4

• Impact Assessment– setting out the methods for assessing the

impact of its current and proposed policies and practices on disability equality.

2

• The main priorities and actions set out under the six requirements as headings.

Remember The Six Requirements!

1. Promote equality of opportunity between disabled persons and other persons.

2. Eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Act.3. Eliminate harassment of disabled persons that is

related to their disabilities.4. Promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons.5. Encourage participation by disabled persons in public

life; and6. Take steps to take account of disabled persons’

disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons.

3.1

• Implementation– an action plan detailing

• lead responsibility• resources• performance criteria/expected outcomes• clear timescales• date and process for review

3.2

• Publication– as for other policies in school, must be

published and made available to anyone who asks for it. (consider accessibility!)

3.3

• Reporting– report on progress annually– report on effect of what has been done

3.4

• Reviewing and revising the scheme– every three years– scheme has already set out how

information will be used to review action plan and inform subsequent schemes (1.3)

– must involved disabled people again (working party).

Video Activity

• Some examples of disability equality in action.

• What can you learn?

Key Factors for Effective Reasonable Adjustments Exemplified in CPD DVDs

CClleeaarr VViissiioonn IInncclluussiivvee EEtthhooss

Strong Leadership

‘Can do’attitude

Identify Barriers&

Practical Solutions

CollaborativeApproach

OutsideExpertise

Positive Approach toManaging Behaviour

Sensitivity&

Dignity

Role model&

Positive images

Challenges in school

• PE for pupils with a physical difficulty• Lunch and break times for pupils with social

and communication difficulties• Ensuring access to after school clubs for all

disabled pupils• Bullying, peer relationships, lack of role

models of disability.• Encourage applications from disabled people

Harassment

• Immediate challenge to pupils using negative race or disability related or sexist language

• Peer mentoring• More detailed reporting and follow up of

incidents of bullying• In 2002 DRC 38% of young disabled people

said that they had been bullied at school• National Autistic society 40% of children

found to have been bullied (2006)

Promoting positive attitudes

• Respectful attitudes to disabled pupils, staff and parents

• Representation of disabled people in positions of responsibility in the schools

• Positive images of disability in school, books and other materials

Encouraging participation in public life

• Including governors and staff with a disability

• Enabling disabled pupils participating in the extended day provision of the school.

• Citizenship curriculum

More favourable treatment

• Providing additional coaching or training for disabled pupils staff or parents

• Special facilities for disabled pupils at breaks and lunchtimes

• Interviewing all disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for a job

Common Issues

• Access to out of school opportunities

• Insufficient reasonable adjustments for BSED and ASD leading to exclusion

• Consideration of disabled carers

• Fear of bullying

Success !

• Schools will know they are succeeding in making reasonable adjustments when disabled pupils/staff/parents etc are participating

• In the classroom• In the curriculum• At breaks lunchtime and beyond the

school day and when…..

• Disabled people feel part of the life of the school

• They are included in all parts of school life

• Staff feel confident working with disabled pupils

Plenary

• Look through your accessibility plan and consider how it might develop in order to meet the needs of the DES.

• Look at the DES checklist and consider what action you need to take in order to meet the requirements.

On your Disc

• Model DES• Is Tom Disabled?• Outline DES notes and Guidance• My School, my family, my life: Telling it like it

is.• Gathering Information Grid• Planning Tools used today• Learning Environment Checklist

Further Information

More information available from:

www.drc.org.uk and

www.teachernet.gov.uk