schools accessibility strategy

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Schools Accessibility Strategy 2019 - 2021

Contents Page

Section 1: Introduction 2

Section 2: Guide to the Strategy 3-4

Section 3: Priorities – how we can help schools enhance accessibility 5-6

Section 4: Promoting access for different areas of disability 7

Children who have Mobility Impairments 8-13

Blind or Visually Impaired children 14-19

Deaf, Deafened or Hearing-Impaired children 20-25

Children with Multiple Disabilities 26-33

Children who are Neurodiverse (Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit Disorders and Dyscalculia) 34-38

Children with Mental Health issues 39-42

Children with Learning Disabilities 43-47

Children with fluctuating/progressive conditions (ME, MS, Cancer, HIV) 48-52

Parents with disabilities 53-55

Notes: How we developed the Strategy 56

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Section 1: Introduction This is Norfolk County Council’s Accessibility Strategy for Schools, effective from January 2019 to November 2021. It sets out how Norfolk County Council will work with schools in Norfolk and across our own services to increase access to education for disabled children. It provides the context for individual school accessibility plans as well as the legal framework.

We believe that all children and young people in Norfolk have the right to be healthy, happy, safe, loved, valued and respected; and to have high aspirations for their future. All disabled children and young people in Norfolk can fully access the physical environment, curricular and extra-curricular activities, benefits, facilities and information provided by their school.

Evidence gathered from young people and their families attending school in Norfolk shows that some disabled children and disabled parents encounter a range of barriers to education. The reasons for this include issues like:

• School premises and curriculums which are not universally accessible; • Provision of information which is not accessible to some disabled children,

and the inconsistent use of auxiliary aids; • A lack of understanding by some county council/school staff about how to

maximise the accessibility of the learning environment to consistently meet the needs of disabled children and disabled parents who wish to support their child and take an active part in school life.

Schools are in the best place to understand the needs of individual pupils and their families. This is why every school is required by the Equality Act 2010 to pull together an accessibility plan.

This over-arching Accessibility Strategy sets the context for school accessibility plans and is based upon information gathered in 2017/18 from disabled pupils and parents. You can read more about why we have done this and what actions Norfolk County Council is taking to make education more accessible in Norfolk in Section 2 of this strategy.

Information in Section 4 of this Strategy is arranged according to the most common disabilities that you may come across. This means that some information may be repeated as it will impact upon more than one disability group. It has been divided into the sorts of things young people and parents have talked about and then some ideas on the sorts of things schools need to consider in order to address them. The information given does not represent direct quotes from individuals but captures the main points we have been told throughout the process of pulling this strategy together.

It is not possible to cover every situation that you may come across and therefore if you have a specific question or issue you wish to discuss further please contact: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Schools%20Accessibility%20Strategy

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Section 2: Guide to the Strategy The legal context for the Strategy

We have a statutory duty under the Equality Act 2010 (Schedule 10) to publish an accessibility strategy for schools.

All schools (whether local-authority maintained, academies or free schools) have a statutory duty to publish an accessibility plan (also set out in Schedule 10).

The County Council and schools must involve disabled children and parents in developing the strategy and individual school plans.

The County Council and schools have other duties to promote equality for disabled young people – which includes the duty to anticipate reasonable adjustments and the duty to provide auxiliary aids. Read further information.

The strategic framework for the Strategy

The strategic framework for the Strategy is provided by our strategy for supporting school improvement 'A Good School for Every Norfolk Learner'.

The Strategy supports delivery of a range of other plans, such as the Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Local Offer.

Where something we do places a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we will take all reasonable steps to try to avoid that disadvantage. This may mean changing the way we work, providing extra equipment or removing physical or other barriers.

Definition of disability

The definition of disability is set out in the Equality Act 2010, Part 6:

“A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities.”

Definition of ‘access’

We define 'access' as the ability of a disabled child or parent to access education in relation to the physical environment of their school, the curriculum and extra-curricular activities, ICT, information, culture, policy and practice.

Achieving this level of access often means going beyond the minimum requirements of buildings and other regulations. Partly this is because some of the regulations are out of date and under review by the Government – for example, Part M of the building regulations doesn’t take account of issues such as the need of a disabled child or adult to have sufficient space to easily negotiate a large power wheelchair.

We want all public services in Norfolk to be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their ability or disability. In view of this, we are guided by the following principles when making changes to premises, services or ICT:

• Provide the same means of use to enable access for all children, disabled or non-disabled: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not;

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/10

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/10

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

http://www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk/Supportforschoolimprovement/agoodschoolforeverynorfolklearner/index.htm

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer

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• Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any children; • Provisions for privacy, security and safety should be equally available to all

children; • Ensure dignity in use for all children.

Why is it vital to address these barriers to education?

We want all disabled children to be able to achieve their best in education.

At Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4, the level of achievement of the vast majority of special educational needs (SEN) children in Norfolk (a definition which covers physical disability, visual, hearing and multi-sensory impairments and children on the autism spectrum) is significantly below the Norfolk average.

People over 16 with a long-term health problem or disability in Norfolk are much less likely to achieve a Level 4 qualification than the Norfolk average, and much more likely to have no qualifications.

This means that work to continue to tackle barriers for disabled children is essential.

How we developed the Strategy

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Section 3: Priorities – how we can help schools enhance accessibility We have identified the following nine priorities which will be delivered over the next three years to address the barriers that some disabled children experience in Norfolk. As these priorities are delivered we will make more information available by link for each priority below:

Priority 1

Offer schools a simple access audit tool, that has been co-designed with disabled children, to assist schools to work with their pupils (both disabled and non-disabled) to identify access issues within the school environment and work systematically to address these over the medium term. By end of January 2020.

Priority 2

Offer schools a template for their school accessibility plan – to include ethos and approach to inclusive design in their school. This will help to guide decision-making on inclusive design and clarify aims to promote access for all. By the end of January 2020.

Priority 3

Offer schools a decision-making tool that has been co-designed with disabled children that sets simple questions to ask suppliers about accessibility. By the end of January 2020.

Priority 4

Provide schools with a simple overview of what training options are available on accessibility, use of auxiliary aids and inclusive design; what’s free, what’s low cost and what’s high cost but worth it (to include signposting to relevant NCC advisory teams e.g. Virtual School, Sensory Support; Planning team & Equality team (incorporating advice on accessibility). By the end of June 2020.

Priority 5

Offer schools a simple free training video or PowerPoint presentation by the end of June 2020, co-produced with disabled children, that can be sent out to schools (like the safeguarding training), which leaders can use easily in staff meetings to convey key learning points, e.g. relating to:

• Protocols around accessible information/equipment and its use • Inclusive digital/web design • Reducing fears, lack of awareness etc

Priority 6

Offer a free pilot training session for education leaders and governors on inclusive design of premises, ICT, information and policy, to test out its potential value for Norfolk. (Completed).

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Priority 7

Review our existing guidance to schools on capital improvements, to identify any opportunities to strengthen how accessibility is addressed and the advice being given. By the end of March 2021. Priority 8

Consult further with disabled children to identify what behaviours by staff make them feel ‘different’ or a nuisance’, as it is vital for all county council/school staff to be mindful of this day-to-day. By the end of March 2021.

Priority 9

Make sure that all county council staff working with children and young people in Norfolk read this strategy, so that they understand the barriers that disabled children face and systematically address these when planning and commissioning children’s services. By the end of December 2019.

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Section 4: Promoting access for different areas of disability This section provides ‘quick access’ to individual sections of the Strategy covering specific needs / different areas of disability.

For obvious reasons, the barriers for children with multiple impairments (e.g. who are Deaf/Blind or who have a physical and learning disability) are more acute and although we have provided information on this we would encourage schools to develop a broad understanding of all the disabilities included.

Each child and / or parent is an individual and may have different access requirements, so we encourage staff to have an initial conversation with the pupil / parent to find out what adjustments will best support them and to continue these discussions at regular intervals as conditions can change over time, requiring different forms of support. It will be particularly important for pupils to keep during transition periods

You can click on each of the following categories to read more about the barriers faced to help you start thinking about potential solutions:

• Children who have Mobility Impairments • Blind or Visually Impaired children • Deaf, Deafened or Hearing-Impaired children • Children with Multiple Disabilities • Children who are Neurodiverse (Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit

Disorders and Dyscalculia) • Children with Mental Health issues • Children with Learning Disabilities • Children with fluctuating/progressive conditions (ME, MS, Cancer, HIV) • Parents with disabilities

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Children who have Mobility Impairments “Some school premises are not universally accessible”

• I have to travel 74 metres out of the way every day to access the school hall as the split levels around a school make some areas really hard to reach so I have to go the long way around, unlike my friends who have to wait for me.

• Although I’m allowed to use the lift I have to wait for a member of staff to come with the key to operate it as they won’t let me have a key. Sometimes I have to ask one of my friends to go and get someone as they aren’t about when I need to go to my lesson upstairs.

• There isn’t enough room in the boys changing room for my powered wheelchair, especially when everyone else is in there. I can only use some of the toilets as well which can be a problem as there aren’t as many that I can use, and sometimes non-disabled people use them.

• In the main foyer there is a great space where you can read and see what is going on, but I can’t always access it because others move the chairs around or the bean bags which are too heavy for me. The Teacher says that I can’t go into that area without someone with me, so I never get any quiet time there.

So how can we help?

• Review our existing guidance to schools on capital improvements, to identify any opportunities to strengthen how accessibility is addressed and the advice being given.

• Offer schools a simple access audit tool, that has been co-designed with disabled children, to assist schools to work with their pupils (both disabled and non-disabled) to identify access issues within the school environment and work systematically to address these over the medium term.

• Offer schools a template for their school accessibility plan – to include ethos and approach to inclusion in their school, and wording on accessibility that they can incorporate into their existing equality policies. This will help to guide decision-making on inclusive design and clarify aims to promote accessibility for all.

“Physical information is not always universally accessible” • Sometimes the Teacher wants us to have a lesson outside which I really like.

But we can only sit in certain places as otherwise my wheelchair can’t go there. If we look at things that are outside like insects I can’t always reach them because I can’t be on the ground like other children. I don’t think the Teacher always thinks of me when they design the lesson.

• I sometimes find it hard to access information that other young people can find on their own, without an adult. Personal things like sexual health and

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contraception are kept out of reach for the younger kids and therefore me as well as I can’t reach from my wheelchair. I don’t want to have to ask an adult or my friends to reach it for me because it is embarrassing but why should I miss out?

So how can we help?

• Offer schools a simple free training video or PowerPoint presentation, co-produced with disabled children (like the safeguarding training), which leaders can use easily in staff meetings to convey key learning points, relating to - protocols around accessible information/equipment and its use, inclusive digital/web design and reducing fears and lack of awareness about how to make information accessible.

• There is a broad range of published materials in accessible formats pitched at different abilities and ages. The Education Library Service, from which schools can buy services, will offer advice and lend appropriate resources. For more information you can contact the service at [email protected]

“Curricular/extra-curricular activities are not always accessible”

• My Teachers don’t always have access to resources that would help me because I go to a mainstream school with not much funding. They also don’t have the skills to make sure I can learn alongside everyone else because I’m the only student with my disability, so I don’t think they think it’s worth it, especially for the extra-curricular stuff.

• I can’t always take part in activities because planning is done by Teachers and other adults without me. I want to be able to help develop options that are accessible for me, so I can join in and not always have adults assume they know best.

• My classmates often chose me last when it comes to team sports because they think my disability will hold them back or mean that they come last. I don’t think this is fair but I’m not sure what can be done about it.

• Not everyone understands how my disability affects me. It makes me tired because physically it is hard to get to lessons and I can be mentally tired as my body can take longer to do things and I sometimes find it hard to concentrate if my muscles are aching. Teachers don’t always understand this, and they think when I ask for time out I want to get out of work but really, I just need a rest, so I can learn properly. Some of the kids say stuff as well which makes me feel bad.

• Sometimes I’m too self-conscious to ask the Teacher to make sure the equipment I need is available for the lesson, so if it isn’t I say it doesn’t matter but really it does, I just feel embarrassed at being the only one who has to ask for help.

• As a teenager sometimes, adults don’t understand why being made to sit at the front of the class ‘because it will be easier for you’ can make you stand out

mailto:[email protected]

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even more amongst the other kids. They seem to have forgotten what it’s like when you are young and think I’m different because I have a disability.

• My disability means that some days I feel fine and other days I don’t. The school tries to help with this, but they don’t make exceptions when I can’t attend school because of hospital appointments. It goes against my attendance record which means I don’t qualify for some activities and have to miss out. Everyone seems to think it’s unfair, but no one does anything.

• I feel that everyone has low expectations of me just because I have to walk with sticks or my frame. Sometimes I feel like I’m a nuisance because I have to do things differently or can’t use the same stairs as everyone else. I am ‘different’ but that is a good thing, after all adults are always telling me I need to be ‘independent’. How can I be if I don’t get a say in what happens to me and what I can and can’t do?

So how can we help?

• Children with mobility impairments can require longer to physically get to lessons than other pupils, especially if they need to access a lift for example and they must wait for the key. By setting homework early in the lesson or handing it out written down, this can provide a disabled pupil with more time to get to their next lesson with their classmates and ensures that they have time to ask questions if they need to.

• Consult further with disabled children to identify what behaviours by staff make them feel ‘different’ (in a negative way) or a nuisance’, as we need to understand what this means and how we can improve it.

• There is an expectation that ‘reasonable adjustments’ will be made by all public-sector organisations including schools. However, we recognise that this can be a very complicated and difficult area to get to grips with. One of the examples above was about a disabled child missing out on a reward because they can’t always be at school due to their disability - this is indirect discrimination. Instead reasonable adjustments could be made to attendance policies, so that disabled children can be applauded and rewarded for their attendance when this hasn’t been impacted upon by issues arising from their disability.

• Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment don’t always need to be expensive or elaborate. We recognise that school budgets are often stretched, and it can be hard to know what will make a real impact for the child. Advice from professionals is always useful – you can contact [email protected] to learn more about dealing with individual cases, but this should always be done as part of an ongoing conversation involving the pupil and their parent.


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“School electronic information/web content that is not compatible with assistive technology”

• Accessing information electronically should make it easier to get to, especially because of my disability. However, some electronic information is not set up to incorporate built-in accessibility software, instead it relies upon me having expensive software that makes it accessible for me. This includes things like PDF’s that aren’t always accessible via the software I use. This means sometimes in class the Teacher can get frustrated when I can’t access the same things on-line as the other kids can and has to stop and try and help me.

• Not all of my Teachers and Assistants know how to use some IT equipment that I need because of my disability. This can make it difficult for me to get help, especially during class when they are busy with other pupils and I can’t just go up to them to ask for help because of my wheelchair.

So how can we help?


• Learn about versions of Adobe PDF that have advanced settings that can be activated to enhance accessibility.

“Schools’ lack of access to clear/cost effective knowledge and guidance on inclusive design”

• Inclusive design can be difficult to achieve. When school premises are upgraded or when products / services are purchased by the school, opportunities may not always be taken to maximise accessibility, or address issues for all impairment groups. This is because staff often lack knowledge about what questions to ask or the confidence to challenge to ensure that accessibility is embedded as early as possible within the procurement process. It can also be difficult to cater for the variety of needs that pupils may have across the school within the budget available.

• Examples include ramps being installed that have too steep a gradient or doors that open out on to the top of a ramp meaning that a pupil cannot safely use the access adjustments independently.

• In some cases there has been confusion about whether health and safety requirements can ‘trump’ accessibility considerations. This is not the case as solutions must be sought to ensure all issues are addressed appropriately.

https://www.ipedis.com/en/pdf-accessibility


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So how can we help?

• Offer schools a decision-making tool, co-designed with disabled children, that sets simple questions to ask suppliers about accessibility.

• Signpost to relevant NCC advisory teams e.g. Virtual School, Sensory Support; Planning team & Equality team (incorporating advice on accessibility.

“Lack of funding for schools to buy staff training, and lack of guidance about which suppliers will provide the option that best meets their needs” It is difficult for schools to know which training provider to use, especially as there are often a myriad of options available. Given the difference in cost and quality, especially when budgets are under pressure this can lead to inappropriate action being taken.

So how can we help?

• Provide schools with a simple overview of what training options are available on accessibility for disabled children, use of auxiliary aids and inclusive design; what’s free, what’s low cost and what’s high cost but worth it.

“Barriers to engaging socially with non-disabled children, which undermines disabled children’s self-esteem”

• Because I find it difficult to get around on my own I can’t always chat to my friends without an adult being there. I also don’t always have the same classes or play times so I’m alone some of the time with just adults for company. Some of the kids don’t want to talk to me because they think the adult will be listening in all the time.

• I feel different to the others because I can’t do the things they do, and I can’t even go into school through the same door. I know my Teachers and the other adults want me to be safe but sometimes I wish they would just treat me the same as everyone else rather than just seeing my wheelchair. They also don’t let my mates use the same door because it’s just for disabled kids like me.

• Sometimes the other kids treat me like I’m stupid because it takes me longer to get places or do things. I know they feel frustrated or bored at having to help me, but I can’t help it. One of them said I was just like their Gran taking ages to get to class.

• I am the only disabled child in my class. There are others at school, but we aren’t really friends, even though everyone seems to think because we are disabled we all hang out together. I don’t really feel like there is anyone for me to look up to and in class we always talk about people who aren’t disabled like football players and actors.

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• If I make a mistake or do something wrong everyone always thinks it’s because I’m disabled. I feel like no one expects me to get things right, so I feel anxious and then I make more mistakes. Sometimes the Teacher will tell the other kids off if they get something wrong, but they don’t me, so I get embarrassed because the other kids pick on me then.

So how can we help?

• Children, like some adults, need to be more aware about disability in order to make sure that schools are welcoming and that all children can take part in school life. There are many ways that this can be done, including making sure that disabled children are part of decision making through school councils.

• Anti-bullying and equality policies need to overtly state expectations of everyone in the school community.

• Explore with Norfolk libraries whether they can assist with events that provide an opportunity for children to come together whether they are disabled or not outside of school.

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Blind or Visually Impaired children “Some school premises are not universally accessible”

• I can’t always use some things because when they were bought they didn’t think of children who can’t see. For example, they bought automatic taps that you don’t have to touch but I can’t tell where you have to put your hand to make it turn on and it makes me jump when they just come on.

• I can see some things but there isn’t always enough colour contrast between doors, their frames, handles, steps and the ground in school. It all looks the same to me, so I find it hard to use and I’m afraid of falling over so my friend helps me to get around.

• The lighting in my school isn’t good enough for me but others say it would be too bright if it was any better. All of the glass helps to let in light but everyone else complains it is too hot or that there is glare so we end up shutting the curtains and then I can’t see.

• There are lots of signs around the school, but they don’t help me and it’s difficult to keep asking people. It also doesn’t help when things are moved around, and no one tells me. I’m afraid sometimes of bumping into things and looking stupid.

So how can we help?




“Physical information is not always universally accessible”. • The Teacher doesn’t always have information available in the right print size

for me and sometimes they ask me to go and find someone to enlarge it or do it myself. This means the class sometimes has to wait or I miss bits of the lesson. I think some of the Teachers just don’t know how to do it.

• Sometimes when the Teacher shows the class what they want us to do they point to it and say things like ‘please put that under there’ or ‘please read this information’. I can’t see what they are pointing at, so I have to ask and even then, it doesn’t mean anything to me as the Teacher can’t always describe

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what they want very well. Maybe if they spoke to me first I could tell them how to help me understand?

• I can’t access the same reading materials as everyone else as they aren’t available in a suitable format. This includes information that other young people can find on their own, privately. Information on things like drugs and alcohol that all my friends know about I want to find out so I don’t look stupid when we talk about it but I have to ask others where I can find it and even then, it isn’t always in a suitable format for me so I don’t ask and pretend I know about it.

• Unlike the other young people, I can’t read posters or other information on the wall. This means that ‘incidental’ reading about stuff that others can do I can’t, so I miss out unless someone tells me about it – even cake sales!

So how can we help?



“Curricular/extra-curricular activities are not always accessible”. • Our Teachers don’t always have access to resources that would help me

because I go to a mainstream school rather than one which just looks after children with disabilities. They also don’t get the time they need to make sure I can learn alongside everyone else because they have so many other pupils to look after.

• I can’t always take part in activities because planning didn’t involve me, so I could help develop options that were accessible for me. Sometimes they seem to think of me last and then just try and make things ‘fit’.

• My classmates often chose me last when it comes to team activities/sports because they think my disability will hold them back or mean that they come last. I don’t think that’s fair. One of my classmates suggested we have a team of all disabled children instead but I don’t think that is right either.

• Not everyone understands how my disability affects me. It makes me tired because I have to really listen all of the time and take things in that people say because I can’t see the board or what the Teacher is showing the class. Sometimes I need a break but not everyone understands that.


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• Sometimes I feel embarrassed if I have to remind the Teacher that I can’t see

what they are pointing at. I don’t want to stand out from the others in the class I just want to learn but sometimes I don’t ask and then I miss things. It can be hard when everyone is talking at once or the Teacher asks people to put their hand up and answer questions.

• I started to lose my sight when I was 3 and it is getting worse. This means that I need different sorts of help as I get older but I’m not sure people understand that. It was really difficult going from primary to secondary school because its much bigger and I don’t know everyone. I have to keep explaining again and again that I’m partially sighted.

• My disability means that I have to have hospital appointments to check my eyes. It goes against my attendance which means I don’t qualify for the end of term trip and know that I will have to miss out. I don’t see why I should put any effort in when I know that because of hospital I won’t be able to go.

• I need to have different exam and practice papers than everyone else but that doesn’t always happen and sometimes it feels as if it is put together at the last minute and that I’m a nuisance for needing them. Sometimes the exam room is already set out when I get there and so someone has to tell me where to sit.

• I used to have a great support worker at my last school, but they had to go because it couldn’t be funded any more. No one really spoke to me about it, so I wasn’t given time to prepare or develop ways that I would cope.

• I feel that everyone has low expectations of me, so I don’t think I will achieve much because of my disability. Sometimes I get frustrated because everyone seems to make decisions for me and they never ask me what I think.

So how can we help?

• Children with sight impairments can physically require longer to get to lessons than other pupils, especially if they have to go via a different route. By setting homework early in the lesson or handing it out written down, this can provide a disabled pupil with more time to get to their next lesson and ensures that they have time to ask questions if they need to. This may be particularly important for pupils who are blind or partially sighted as they may struggle with understanding some concepts which have a visual element to them.


• There is an expectation that ‘reasonable adjustments’ will be made by all public-sector organisations including schools. However, we recognise that this can be a very complicated and difficult area to get to grips with. One of the examples above was about a disabled child missing out on a reward because they can’t always be at school due to their disability - this is indirect

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discrimination. Instead reasonable adjustments could be made to attendance policies, so that disabled children can be applauded and rewarded for their attendance when this hasn’t been impacted upon by issues arising from their disability.

• Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment don’t always need to be expensive or elaborate. We recognise that school budgets are often stretched, and it can be hard to know what will make a real impact for the child. Advice from professionals is always useful – you can contact [email protected] to learn more about individual cases, but this should always be done as part of an ongoing conversation involving the pupil and their parent.


• Accessing information electronically should make it easier to get to, especially

because of my disability. However, some electronic information does not have built-in accessibility software like a screen reader. Instead it relies upon me having expensive software that makes it accessible for me. This includes things like PDF’s that aren’t always accessible via the software I use. This means sometimes in class the Teacher can get frustrated when I can’t access the same things on-line as the other kids can.

• Not all of my Teachers and Assistants know how to use some IT equipment that I need because of my disability. This can make it difficult for me to get help, especially during class when they are busy with other pupils and I can’t just go up to them to ask for help.

So how can we help?



“Schools’ lack of access to clear/cost effective knowledge and guidance on inclusive design” When school premises are upgraded or when products / services are purchased by the school, opportunities may not always be taken to maximise accessibility, or address issues for all impairment groups. This is because staff often lack knowledge about what questions to ask or the confidence to challenge to ensure that accessibility is embedded as early as possible within the procurement process.




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Confusion that health and safety requirements can ‘trump’ accessibility considerations. This is not the case as solutions must be sought to ensure all issues are addressed appropriately.

So how can we help?


• Signpost to relevant NCC advisory teams e.g. Virtual School, Sensory Support; Planning team & Equality team (incorporating advice on accessibility).


So how can we help?


“Barriers to engaging socially with non-disabled children, which undermines disabled children’s self-esteem”.

• I feel different to the others because I can’t do the things they do. I know my Teachers and the other adults want me to be safe but sometimes I wish they would just treat me the same as everyone else rather than someone who is disabled.

• Sometimes the other kids treat me like I’m stupid because it takes me longer to get places or do things. I know they feel frustrated or bored at having to help me, but I can’t help it. If they couldn’t see they would find it hard, especially when you change schools or classrooms. They all want to ask me about my disability, but I’d rather not talk about it sometimes.

• I am the only disabled child in my class. There are others at school, but we aren’t really friends, even though everyone seems to think because we are disabled we all hang out together. I don’t really feel like there is anyone for me to look up to and in class we always talk about people who aren’t disabled like football players and actors. I really don’t know what I want to be when I grow up and no one seems to know any really successful blind people apart from some singers I’ve never heard of.

• If I make a mistake or do something wrong everyone always thinks it’s because I’m disabled. I feel like no one expects me to get things right, so I

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feel anxious. Sometimes I think others are making fun of me, but I can’t see them, so I worry, especially when I meet new people.

So how can we help?




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Deaf, Deafened or Hearing-Impaired children “Some school premises are not universally accessible”.

• I am deaf, so it can be difficult in school because there is too much glass in the building it makes things sound really loud and it is distracting. It can be really hard when there are a lot of people about like at break times.

• Some of the classrooms make it really hard to hear my Teacher. My school isn’t new and doesn’t have ceilings and wall boards that stop the sound bouncing around as much as my old school. This means I have to really concentrate and when the others mess around I find it hard and get tired in the lesson.

So how can we help?




• Some schools have hearing systems automatically integrated into classrooms, for example a ‘Soundfield’ system which is an amplification system that provides an even spread of sound around a room. This is beneficial for deaf pupils, as they can hear the teacher’s voice more clearly, from wherever they are seated. The teacher doesn’t need to speak loudly to reach everyone. This and other such adaptions can be expensive but worthwhile, so we will offer advice to schools considering such actions.

“Physical information is not always universally accessible” • Whenever we watch a video or YouTube at school I always have to ask for

the Teacher to put the subtitles on and sometimes the film doesn’t have them. If the film doesn’t have subtitles, then it would be good if the Teacher could write down for me what they are saying so I can have this before the class.

• Sometimes we have Teachers and assistants that have beards or accents that make it hard for me to lip-read. I’m not sure what you can do about that, but it would be good if they had a 1:1 with me before the class to see what would help me.

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• Because I can’t hear very well I don’t always pick up on everything – what you might call ‘incidental’ hearing. That means when a lot is going on at once I only get some of the information and it can be really tiring trying to keep up. Sometimes the Teacher will talk about stuff that is on the walls like posters and things but if they don’t point at them when there is a lot going on I miss that sort of stuff.

So how can we help?



“Curricular/extra-curricular activities are not always accessible”

• I can’t always take part in activities because planning didn’t involve me, so I could help develop options that were accessible for me. I think the adults usually just assume they know best and that because I’m hard of hearing I’m like everyone else who can’t hear very well.

• My classmates often chose me last when it comes to team sports because they think my disability will hold them back or mean that they come last. Either that or they spend all of the session shouting and making signals that I can’t understand. That’s why I don’t do so well, its them and their silly gestures if only they would ask me what would work.

• Sometimes it is difficult for me when there is a lot of background noise and the others are messing around. When it is after school stuff I want to join in, but the Teacher never seems that interested so everyone messes around and I can’t hear what we are meant to be doing.

• Not everyone understands how my disability affects me. It makes me tired because I have to really concentrate all of the time and take things in. Sometimes I need a break but not everyone understands that.

• Sometimes people don’t know how to cope with deaf people, particularly not children. There are lots of ways that they can communicate with me but simple things like not moving around when speaking or turning their back on me don’t help.

• Sometimes I feel like everyone if looking at me when I have to hand my transmitter for my radio aid to the Teacher and so I really don’t want to do it.


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Sometimes I just leave it and other times I try and get to the classroom early, so I can hand it over before the others get there.

• My Teacher sometimes forgets to make sure they repeat what others have said when we are having a group discussion in the classroom. Everyone forgets that I can’t tell what they are saying because most of the class has their back to me or sometimes when I’m at the front of the class I feel uncomfortable if I need to turn around.

• When I moved schools, it was agreed that I would always sit at the front of the class because that helps me to lip-read what the Teacher says. It feels like every time I go in to a new class I have to explain this to the Teacher. Sometimes I don’t bother, and I just sit where I can.

• Not everyone understands that not all deaf people communicate in the same way. They don’t always ask me what will help me, and I use Sign Supported English rather than BSL so sometimes all of the effort they have been through to try and make the lesson accessible for me fails because they didn’t ask.

• I can’t lip read and write at the same time, so I need a support assistant to take notes. Sometimes the assistant is off sick or is late for lessons, so I don’t get the help I need. When I go to sixth form they said that I might not get a note taker because there may not be the money to fund one any more.

• It would really help if the Teacher would set homework early in the lesson or give it to me written down. so that I have enough time to get to the next lesson and I’m not trying to hear what the homework is when everyone is trying to leave the room. For some lessons I don’t bother, and I just ask one of my friends what it was afterwards.

• My disability means that some days I feel fine and other days I don’t. The school tries to help with this, but they don’t make exceptions when I can’t attend school because of hospital appointments. It goes against my attendance which means I don’t qualify for some activities and have to miss out. Because of my disability I don’t have many appointments, but it is enough to affect my record.

• I don’t think I will achieve much at school because I’m such a nuisance and people keep having to do things just for me. I want to do well but sometimes I can’t be bothered to keep asking for things to be repeated so I miss out and hope I can catch up.

• It is hard to get adults to listen to me sometimes and they just talk to my mum and dad instead. Sometimes I don’t want to do what they say but if they involved me in the discussions then maybe I would understand why they think this is right?

So how can we help?

• Children with hearing impairments can require longer to understand what is needed for homework as they may need it repeated several times if the

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classroom is noisy or the Teacher is attending to other pupils. By setting homework early in the lesson or handing it out written down, this can provide a disabled pupil with more time to ask questions if they need to and for a pupil with a hearing impairment to focus their whole attention on what the Teacher is saying rather than being distracted by other pupils leaving the classroom.


• There is an expectation that ‘reasonable adjustments’ will be made by all public-sector organisations including schools. However, we recognise that this can be a complicated area to get to grips with. One of the examples above was about a disabled child missing out on a reward because they can’t always be at school due to their disability - this is indirect discrimination. Instead reasonable adjustments could be made to attendance policies, so that disabled children can be rewarded for their attendance when this hasn’t been impacted upon by issues arising from their disability.

• Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment don’t always need to be expensive or elaborate. We recognise that school budgets are often stretched, and it can be hard to know what will make a real impact for the child. Advice from professionals is always useful – you can contact [email protected] to learn more about individual cases, but this should always be done as part of a conversation with the pupil and their parent.



because of my disability. However, sometimes the Teacher wants us to watch film clips, but they don’t always check that the clip comes with subtitles or know how to put the subtitles on.

So how can we help?






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So how can we help?



“Lack of funding for schools to buy staff training, and lack of guidance about which suppliers will provide the option that best meets their needs”

• It is difficult for schools to know which training provider to use, especially as there are often a myriad of options available. Given the difference in cost and quality, especially when budgets are under pressure this can lead to inappropriate action being taken.

So how can we help?


“Barriers to engaging socially with non-disabled children, which undermines disabled children’s self-esteem”.

• Because I use sign language and need a note taker for lessons I can’t always chat to my friends without an adult being around, especially when I meet new people for the first time this can be a bit embarrassing because they can’t see that I’m deaf and assume that I’m not.

• I feel different to the others because I can’t do the things they do and when I try and speak to them some of the kids say I sound funny. I know my Teachers and the other adults want me to be safe but sometimes I wish they would just treat me the same as everyone else rather than someone who is disabled. It’s always the first thing they say, ‘this is [xx] she’s deaf’.

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• Sometimes the other kids treat me like I’m stupid because it takes me longer to understand some things. I know they feel frustrated or bored at having to help me, but I can’t help it. It’s not my fault they don’t speak clearly.

• When I was in my other school I was always with my best friend and I started to teach him how to sign. When we moved schools I no longer had classes with him and sometimes we didn’t even have the same break times. I like meeting new people, but I miss my friend and it takes me longer to make them because no one understands me at first.

• I am the only disabled child in my school or at least I think I am. When my friends talk about people, famous people, they always talk about people who aren’t disabled like football players and actors. Whenever we talk about role models at school it’s never disabled people apart from maybe when the Para-Olympics are on and then it’s all sports people and I don’t like sports.

• If I make a mistake or do something wrong everyone always thinks it’s because I’m deaf. I feel like no one expects me to get things right, so I feel anxious and because when I do speak I sound different to the other kids they can’t always understand me, so I get frustrated having to keep repeating myself.

So how can we help?




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Children with Multiple Disabilities “Some school premises are not universally accessible”.

• One of my disabilities means that I have to use the lift to get to some of my classes. The lift is locked but they won’t let me have a key, so I have to wait for an adult which makes me late for class sometimes. It is bad enough I have to use a different door to everyone else to get into the school hall. Because I suffer from mental health problems as well, sometimes I get paranoid that no one will let me in and then I panic.

• I know that because of my disabilities (partially sighted and in a wheelchair) it can be difficult to think about my needs, but it makes it very difficult to use the toilet because the taps we have are automatic and I can’t see where to make them work and I can’t really get to them easily from my chair. If they had of thought of these things before they bought them or had different choices it would help more children like me.

• I am autistic, and I have diabetes which affects my sight. When the school was updated they put in lots of glass to make it brighter and they made the lights inside even brighter and took away the carpets. It’s too much for me sometimes and although it helps me to see I feel uncomfortable because it’s noisy and bright and it makes me feel bad. My mum has talked to the school and they say that there is very little guidance on how to deal with this, so I don’t know what to do apart from go to another school.

• Everyone in the school is different but we all need to know where to go and where things are. My disabilities mean that I can’t understand some of the signs and I don’t like to ask the others, partly because I’m hard of hearing so when I do speak others find it hard to understand me and so I get embarrassed. It would be much easier if pupils were involved in the design of the information we need and deciding where it should be put, especially kids that are new to the school or have a disability like me.

• There is a lot of things at my school and some areas are really cluttered and not everyone tidies up. That means I can’t get through the area easily because I have to walk with a frame because I have cerebral palsy. My eye sight isn’t that great either so I’m always afraid I won’t notice something, and I will trip or worst still walk along with it trailing behind me.

• There isn’t anywhere in school that I can sit and be quiet for a while when things get too much for me because of my autism. Even the library has a lot of information and leaflets etc which makes it hard for me not to get distracted. I also have diabetes which means I have to eat regularly and I’m not allowed to in the library.

So how can we help?


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“Physical information is not always universally accessible” • I don’t always have access to the materials I need in class like large print type

or coloured acetates and sometimes the Teacher will ask me to sort these out for myself. They also put things up high which I can’t see because I have restricted growth. I really don’t want to have to ask others to get stuff for me but sometimes I have to – it’s just people being thoughtless.

• Sometimes I find it hard to understand what the Teacher is talking about when they do presentations on the screen because it doesn’t make sense to me. They forget that my disabilities mean that I’m in a wheelchair but I’m also dyslexic. They often forget the dyslexia because they can’t see it.

• Because I’m disabled and suffer from mental health problems as well as being blind no one seems to think I might want to know about personal stuff like contraception. The only way I can get information is by asking someone and I don’t always want an adult around or someone who knows me. So, I try and find out from my friends that I can trust. I’m not always sure they really know or are just making things up.

• We had an event with children from another school and everyone had to wear name badges, so we knew what everyone was called. I got embarrassed having to keep asking the others what their name was, it was bad enough having to sit at the side all of the time because there wasn’t room for my wheelchair but the amount of people who pointed at their badge when I asked like I was stupid. I did suggest we all have braille badges, but the Teacher said it was too expensive.

So how can we help?


• There is a broad range of published materials in accessible formats pitched at different abilities and ages. The Education Library Service, from which schools can buy services, will offer advice and lend appropriate resources.

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For more information you can contact the service at [email protected]

“Curricular/extra-curricular activities are not always accessible” • Our Teachers don’t always have access to resources that would help me

because I go to a mainstream school. They also don’t get the time they need to prepare for lessons to make sure I can learn alongside everyone else. I know it can be difficult because I have multiple disabilities but maybe they should ask me what would help and then think if that will help everyone else as well.

• How quickly we have to learn things and all of the new words can make it difficult for me. I can’t hear so I have to rely upon lip-reading and taking things in. My learning difficulty makes it hard to keep up and it takes me longer than the rest of the class to catch up sometimes. Some of my teachers speak to me after class in a special session so they make sure I understand which really helps.

• I can’t always take part in activities because planning didn’t involve me, they just assume that I will need to do something a certain way. If they asked me though I could help and sometimes when I’m really tired I need to do things a different way to when I’m not. They need to trust me a little more.

• My classmates often chose me last when it comes to team activities because they think my disability will hold them back or mean that they come last. The thing is that because I have ADHD I’m actually quite fast and the fact that I’m deaf doesn’t really matter as long as I know what we need to do in fact it means I don’t get distracted by all the shouting from the side lines.

• Not everyone understands how my disabilities affect me and sometimes one is really good when the other is really bad. I’m autistic so sometimes background sounds seem really loud to me and my learning difficulty can make me very tired because I have to really listen and take things in. It feels like my body is fighting itself, so I just need a break. When I feel good though I can do much more.

• I know it’s there to help me but sometimes I don’t like giving the teacher my transmitter for my hearing aid because I feel bad enough coming into the classroom with my wheelchair and having to make everyone get out of the way for me or squeezing past stuff. I sit at the front of the class but sometimes the Teacher doesn’t know how to use the transmitter either, so it doesn’t work anyway.

• At my last school there were loads of things put in place to help me. I’d sit at the front of the class, so I could lip-read, and it also made it easier for me to get from class to class as I only had to walk a little way with my sticks as the school wasn’t very big. Before I went to my new school we spoke about what I needed, and they agreed to let me sit at the front again but sometimes that


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doesn’t happen. I remind the Teacher, but they are in too much of a hurry to start the lesson that I end up just sitting anywhere.

• When I started at my school I could see enough to be able to get by, but things have got worse and I need to be able to get around. I had got used to what I needed to do but as my sight has got worse my mental health has also got worse and I find it hard to keep telling people that I can’t do it that way anymore. I’m different so I need a different sort of help.

• My disabilities mean that some days I feel fine and other days I don’t and sometimes they clash. The school tries to help with this, but they don’t make exceptions when I can’t attend school because of hospital appointments and I have quite a lot because I have more than one disability. They don’t seem to understand that I need to go to different clinics for different things. It goes against my attendance which means I don’t qualify for some activities and have to miss out.

• When I go to a different school they won’t have the funding to be able to supply me with a note taker, but they do have a lift, so I should be able to get to my classes. The lack of consistent support is always a problem when you move and so it takes longer to settle in than other kids.

• I don’t think I will achieve much at school because I’m such a nuisance and people keep having to do things just for me. I want to do well but sometimes when one of my disabilities is really bad I can’t be bothered to make the effort and then my mental health gets really bad because I think everyone thinks I’m rubbish.

• When I need things, it can get really difficult and complex because my disabilities need different things and support. Often no one asks me what I think when I need something, so I don’t really feel I can be independent. It would be good if I could speak to the specialist and the teacher, so I can get what is right for me, especially as they sometimes forget I have more than one disability.

So how can we help?

• Depending upon the ‘mix’ of disabilities children with multiple disabilities can require longer to understand what is required as far as homework is concerned and may require more time to physically get to their next lesson if they need, for example, to go via a different route. By setting homework early in the lesson or handing it out written down, this can provide a disabled pupil with more time to ask questions if they need to, remove the potential distraction of other pupils leaving the room and provide more time to get to their next lesson.


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• Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment don’t always need to be expensive or elaborate. We recognise that school budgets are often stretched, and it can be hard to know what will make a real impact for the child. Advice from professionals is always useful – you can contact [email protected] to learn more about individual cases, but this should always be done as part of an ongoing conversation including the pupil and their parent.



because of my disabilities. However, some electronic information is not coded to incorporate built-in accessibility software like my screen reader. Instead it relies upon me having expensive software that makes it accessible for me. This includes things like PDF’s that aren’t always accessible via the software I use. This means sometimes in class the Teacher can get frustrated when I can’t access the same things on-line as the other kids can.

• Not all of my Teachers and Assistants know how to use some IT equipment that I need because of my disability. This can make it difficult for me to get help, especially during class when they are busy with other pupils and I can’t just go up to them to ask for help. Sometimes I think they wish I could turn one of my disabilities off just to make it easier.

So how can we help?



“Schools’ lack of access to clear/cost effective knowledge and guidance on inclusive design”




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When school premises are upgraded or when products / services are purchased by the school, opportunities may not always be taken to maximise accessibility, or address issues for all impairment groups. This is because staff often lack knowledge about what questions to ask or the confidence to challenge to ensure that accessibility is embedded as early as possible within the procurement process.


So how can we help?



“Specific issues for children who have multiple impairments (e.g. Deaf/Blind, physical/neurological disabilities)”

• Because I have multiple impairments often adults will make adjustments for one of my disabilities but not another. They don’t really understand how to support me, and they can’t really provide all of the teaching assistants I need, especially when it is a big class and they have to look after other children.

• I really like the teaching assistant who helps me but sometimes she does things for me rather than helping me to do it myself. Sometimes I think it’s just because it’s quicker if she does it, so I let her.

• I always have low expectations of what school will be able to do to help support me because they just don’t have the time or money and because I have more than one disability it’s like they don’t always know what to do.

• Sometimes I just don’t want to talk to anyone or be with anyone and other times I get hyperactive because the adults don’t talk to me beforehand about what is going to happen, who will be there and what it will be like. This makes me really uncomfortable and I don’t know how to cope. It also makes me really frustrated when the adults forget that I have a mental health problem as well as a physical one. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

• I have multiple impairments, so I don’t really fit in with anyone. There is no one else in my school with multiple impairments some are deaf like me and some are autistic, but no one is deaf, and autistic like me. I know there aren’t very many children like me, but it would be nice to meet someone, so I can talk to them about what it is like and we could be friends.

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• It is nice that everyone cares about me, but I never get the chance to play like the other children. I always have an adult with me and they stop me doing things that they think might hurt me.

• I don’t like it when I have to change schools or change classes. I just get to feeling safe and like everyone knows what I need and then it all changes again and I have to explain things again. Sometimes they start taking away my support so that it will be ready when I need it in the new place but that leaves me with a gap when things aren’t so easy.

• Because the school doesn’t have much money the people who support me haven’t always had the training they need and sometimes they change so I go from someone who has had training to someone who hasn’t.

So how can we help?

• Specialist classroom support from staff qualified and experienced in working with children with special educational needs is central to ensuring that the young person is successful. However, recruitment and retention of appropriately qualified staff is challenging. For example, the salary of a Level 3 qualified school intervenor falls far short of the salary of a BSL translator. Specialist resources to allow the young person to access the curriculum through senses other than sight and hearing e.g. through touch, movement, vibration etc. are even more difficult to recruit. Therefore, we will encourage schools to help us to explore how we can better utilise County Council advisory services and virtual schools to support these types of need.


So how can we help?


“Barriers to engaging socially with non-disabled children, which undermines disabled children’s self-esteem”

• It can be hard to make friends because no one else has multiple impairments so I don’t fit in with anyone. Because I’m deaf I can’t hear what other children are saying and I can only lip-read a bit. I prefer to sign but not everyone can do BSL. My legs mean I can’t run like the others and if I’m using my sticks then I have to stay on one bit of the playground because the other part has stairs and I get tired going up and down them.

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• It can be difficult to talk to my friends alone as I often need support from an

adult. Even when I say I’m okay and they can leave me alone they don’t go far so I feel embarrassed and like I’m a baby.

• I feel different to the others because I can’t go into the canteen the same way or I have to ask someone to operate the lift for me, so I can get to class. I know my Teachers and the other adults want me to be safe but sometimes I wish they would just treat me the same as everyone else because it makes me feel like everyone is looking at me all the time or I’m always late.

• Sometimes the other kids treat me like I’m stupid because it takes me longer to understand some things. I know they feel frustrated or bored at having to help me, but I can’t help it.

• When I was in my other school I was always with my best friend and I started to show her how help me when I have a bad day. When we moved schools I no longer had classes with her and sometimes we didn’t even have the same break times. I like meeting new people, but I miss my friend and it takes me longer to make them because no one understands me at first, especially when my mental health is bad or if they have never met a deaf person before.

• I am the only child with multiple disabilities in my class. When my friends talk about people, famous people, they always talk about people who aren’t disabled like football players and actors or disabled people like them Tanni Grey-Thompson. She’s in a wheelchair but not everyone who is disabled is in a wheelchair so who do I look up to?

• If I make a mistake or do something wrong everyone always thinks it’s because I’m disabled. What’s more I have multiple disabilities so if one isn’t a problem, the other one will be, so I feel like I can never get it right.

So how can we help?




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Children who are Neurodiverse (Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit Disorders and Dyscalculia “Some school premises are not universally accessible”

• Some while ago they changed the lighting in some of the rooms as the other students had complained it was too dull. I liked it like that but now it’s too bright for me. Being autistic it makes my head go funny. It’s also really noisy because the corridors have no carpets so when everyone is walking around I can’t think.

• I have dyspraxia, so it can be difficult for me to get around, especially where there are a lot of things like furniture or someone leaves books lying on the floor. In the past I had an adult with me some of the time to make sure I could get around, but my new school can’t afford that and besides I’m older now and I want to be independent.

• Sometimes I need to sit somewhere quiet where I can just get on and calm down if things have got a bit much. I’m worried that because there are more kids coming here they will get rid of our quiet room. I overheard some kids saying it was going to be a new class room. I don’t want to have to sit where the kids that are on detention sit just so I can get some peace.

So how can we help?




“Physical information which is not universally accessible” • I don’t think they understood when I said I needed a coloured clear sheet to

lay over the work, so I can read it properly. For me I need pink, but they only had blue and couldn’t understand why I said it wouldn’t work. I’m going to start bringing in my own but then it’s another thing to carry around and I already have so many books.

• Because I’m autistic the adults think I’m not interested in information to do

with relationships. I can’t find anything in the library and I don’t want to ask so I don’t bother because nothing that is there seems to explain it in a way I can understand. I don’t want to talk to an adult because the other kids can find out

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stuff and get to it. My friend who is dyslexic says the same thing. It’s very hard when you want to know things but just want to do it on your own.

So how can we help?



“Curricular/extra-curricular activities are not always accessible” • Because I have ADHD I find it hard to sit in the classroom, so I mess around.

The Teacher always gets annoyed at me. I wish the Teacher would speak to me, so we could come up with lessons that I can enjoy but I know they don’t really have time.

• I really struggle with maths because of my Dyscalculia. Not many people have heard of it either so when any of the teachers start talking numbers and try to describe stuff I don’t get it. They even use words that my parents haven’t heard of and it seems as if they way they teach it is different, so my parents can’t always help with my homework. I don’t like to say in the class, but dad has got me a tutor to help me outside of school because the teacher doesn’t have time to keep explaining things to me.

• I hate doing PE because of my dyspraxia I find it hard to co-ordinate and the other kids don’t like to pick me for team stuff as they think they will lose. It’s not just that I’m not very good at it, it’s because I can’t control my body as well. I wish we could do more things where we don’t pick teams because it’s always embarrassing being last.

• I want to join one of the sports clubs at school, but they always hold it in the sports hall where it’s really noisy and I find it hard to hear what the teacher is saying because of the echo. Because I’m autistic some sounds are really loud to me and hurt so I try not to go into the hall. If they would hold it outside that isn’t so bad and I could join in.

• I always feel like the adults don’t understand what it’s like to be me. There’s so much going on at school, its noisy and I have to try and concentrate all the time because I find things hard to understand sometimes. Because I’m autistic I can’t always express how I feel and I just can’t do stuff outside of school, as much as I’d like to it gets too much. I feel overwhelmed.


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• As I get older I want to be able to decide on what happens to me, but the

adults don’t always let me. Sometimes, I would like them to sit down and explain to me why I have to do something in a certain way or not do the same as the other kids. Sometimes I think I can do stuff it’s just that the adults think I can’t or it will be harder for them if I do. It is like they want me to be independent but at the same time they don’t because I have a mental disability that you can’t see.

So how can we help?

• Children who are neurodiverse can require longer to understand what is required as far as homework is concerned as they may struggle with some concepts. By setting homework early in the lesson or handing it out written down, this can provide a disabled pupil with more time to ask questions if they need to and remove the potential distraction of other pupils leaving the room.

• Consult further with disabled children to identify what behaviours by staff make them feel ‘different’ (in a negative way) or a nuisance’, as we need to understand what this means and how we can improve it


• Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment don’t always need to be expensive or elaborate. We recognise that school budgets are often stretched, and it can be hard to know what will make a real impact for the child. Advice from professionals is always useful – you can contact [email protected] to learn more about individual cases, but this should always be done as part of an ongoing conversation involving the pupil and their parent.

“School electronic information / web content that is not compatible with assistive technology”

• Disabled children face unique challenges in accessing electronic /web information

and (when age appropriate) getting online. For example, a child with Learning Difficulties may struggle to take in large amounts of text on-line and a child with dyslexia may need to know how to use coloured filters on the screen to help them distinguish words.

So how can we help?


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• Offer schools a simple free training video or PowerPoint presentation, co-produced with disabled children (like the safeguarding training), which leaders can use easily in staff meetings to convey key learning points, relating to - protocols around accessible information/equipment and its use, inclusive digital/web design and reducing fears and lack of awareness about how to make information accessible




So how can we help?




So how can we help?


Barriers to engaging socially with non-disabled children, which undermines disabled children’s self esteem



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• It can be hard to make friends because no one else has Dyscalculia and no one in my class has even heard of it. They think I’m making it up and most of the other kids just think I’m just really bad at maths. I almost wish I was dyslexic instead as at least they have heard of that.

• Sometimes the other kids treat me like I’m stupid because it takes me longer to understand some things. I know they feel frustrated or bored at having to help me, but I can’t help it. Even the Teacher is fed up with me sometimes if I forget to take my ADHD medication I just can’t sit still. The rest of the class just think I mess around. It’s great when we play football though, I’m always first to be picked because I’m the fastest in the class.

• When I was in my other school it was ok because it was a small school. My new one is much bigger and there are older kids. Because I’m autistic I don’t really have friends, I don’t really understand why the others need them. The Teacher made the class sit through an explanation of autism which was interesting. It does annoy me though when the other kids ask to borrow my stuff and don’t give it back. I don’t understand why people do that or why they think it’s funny and why my dad gets so annoyed.

• I am the only child with dyslexia in my class. When my friends talk about people, famous people, they always talk about people who aren’t disabled like football players and actors or disabled people like them Tanni Grey-Thompson. She’s in a wheelchair but not everyone who is disabled is in a wheelchair and just because you can’t see my disability doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Generally, everyone is ok about me being disabled though. I feel lucky that you can’t tell by just looking at me, so I don’t have to tell people if I don’t want to.

• If I make a mistake or do something wrong everyone always thinks it’s just me if they don’t know I’m disabled and I always blame it on my disability even when I’m not sure it is. It’s very confusing sometimes because when things are ok I feel like everyone else.

So how can we help?




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Children with Mental Health issues “Some school premises are not universally accessible”.

• Sometimes I need to sit somewhere quiet where I can just get on and calm down if things have got a bit much. I’m worried that because there are more kids coming here they will get rid of our quiet room. I overheard some kids saying it was going to be a new class room. I don’t want to have to sit where the kids that are on detention sit just so I can get some peace.

So how can we help?




“Physical information which is not universally accessible” • Because I have what they call a ‘hidden’ disability you can’t tell by looking at me

that I might struggle sometimes. It isn’t a problem for me to get around, but it can be difficult if I want to learn about some things without an adult being involved. I suffer from depression so if I go anywhere near information on things like drugs or alcohol I feel like they think I want to commit suicide. I’m just interested but they assume that I’m always down and forget I’m a teenager too.

So how can we help?


• There is a broad range of published materials in accessible formats

pitched at different abilities and ages. The Education Library Service, from which schools can buy services, will offer advice and lend appropriate resources. For more information you can contact the service at [email protected]


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Curricular / extra-curricular activities which are not universally accessible • My mental health, like anyone’s can go up and down. This sometimes makes it

hard for me to take in information and I feel tired all the time. The Teachers have been really good, but they don’t always have the time to change things if I’m not so well. They also don’t always have time for me to talk to them or catch up because they have so much to do.

• I would like to be a Doctor and help people with mental health problems like me, but I don’t think I will be able to. When my mental health is really bad I just can’t be bothered and even though the adults offer me extra lessons and support to achieve my dream I just can’t get past the fact I don’t think I can do it. The other kids in the class make fun of me sometimes and think I’m putting it on.

• I want to join in with the other kids after school, but I have to take my medication at a certain time and have to go to bed at a certain time or my mental health suffers. I have tried talking to my teacher because I really want to join the drama club, but they say that I have to attend all of the sessions and if I don’t my parents won’t get their money back. I can’t guarantee I will be well all of the time, so I can’t go.

So how can we help?

• Children with mental health problems can struggle to maintain concentration as well as attendance. By setting homework early in the lesson or handing it out written down, this can provide a disabled pupil with more time to ask questions if they need to, remove the potential distraction of other pupils leaving the room and provide opportunities for those who are suffering from a dip in their mental health to not have to take in information in such a short space of time.



• Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment don’t always need to be expensive or elaborate. We recognise that school budgets are often stretched, and it can be hard to know what will make a real impact for the child. Advice from professionals is always useful – you can contact

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[email protected] to learn more about individual cases, but this should always be done as part of a conversation with the pupil and their parent.

“School electronic information / web content that is not compatible with assistive technology”

• Disabled children face unique challenges in accessing electronic /web information

and (when age appropriate) getting online. For example, a child with a mental health condition may struggle to take in large amounts of text on-line.

So how can we help?



“Schools’ lack of access to clear/cost effective knowledge and guidance on inclusive design”. When school premises are upgraded or when products / services are purchased by the school, opportunities may not always be taken to maximise accessibility, or address issues for all impairment groups. This is because staff often lack knowledge about what questions to ask or the confidence to challenge to ensure that accessibility is embedded as early as possible within the procurement process.


So how can we help?



“Lack of funding for schools to buy staff training, and lack of guidance about which suppliers will provide the option that best meets their needs”. It is difficult for schools to know which training provider to use, especially as there are often a myriad of options available. Given the difference in cost and quality,




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especially when budgets are under pressure this can lead to inappropriate action being taken.

So how can we help?


Barriers to engaging socially with non-disabled children, which undermines disabled children’s self esteem

• I feel that everyone treats me differently because they know I have a mental

disability. Some of the Teachers seem almost scared of me in case they upset me, and I get depressed. The last time my mental health was bad my friends all came to see me at home but the last time no one came it’s like they couldn’t be bothered this time. I hate feeling different.

• One of the other kids told me to grow up and to stop being sad likes it’s easy to do. They don’t understand what it’s like and I think they get fed up with me being so up and down so some of them won’t speak to me.

• It’s good that there is a lot more information about mental health about but sometimes I think there is too much. Everyone seems to be suffering from something and you see all these celebrities in magazines talking about it like it’s their job. I don’t feel like I have anyone to look up to who has the same problem as me but is dealing with it and making a success of themselves.

• I get fed up of everyone talking about my mental health. They call it a hidden disability, but it feels like it is written all over my face. That seems to be all anyone ever talks about with me and one of the Teachers even introduced me to someone the other day as they thought we might get on as we both suffer from mental health problems.

So how can we help?




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Children with Learning Disabilities “Some school premises are not universally accessible”

• My school is so big it can be hard to find your way around. I have a learning disability, so it takes me a little longer than some of the other kids to learn and remember where things are. It can also make me very tired so having to walk around the school from one room to another can make me too tired to learn.

So how can we help?




“Physical information which is not universally accessible” • I have a new girlfriend and we want to know more about being a good boyfriend

and girlfriend to each other. We can’t talk to our parents or any other adults as its embarrassing. There aren’t any books in the library to help us, so we have looked on-line, but I don’t know if what they say is right and some of it I don’t understand. I don’t want to get told off because I tried looking at some things on the internet and it came up with a big sign saying I wasn’t allowed to look at it.

So how can we help?


• There is a broad range of published materials in accessible formats

pitched at different abilities and ages. The Education Library Service, from which schools can buy services, will offer advice and lend appropriate resources. For more information you can contact the service at [email protected]


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“Curricular / extra-curricular activities which are not universally accessible”

• I’m really lucky I have great Teachers but there is so much to learn that I

sometimes can’t keep up, especially now I’m older. Mum and dad can’t help either as they say it’s all different to when they were at school. It takes me longer to understand some things, so I need extra help. The school have been really good, and I get extra lessons because the Teacher doesn’t have time in the normal lesson.

• Sometimes I really like PE and sometimes I hate it because I get picked last for the team. Because the other kids see me struggling in lessons to keep up they think I won’t be able to do sports, but I can. But I do get really tired having to concentrate all the time, more than the other kids.

• When I was at my last school I had a support worker who helped me during lessons. In my new school they say they can’t afford one and that I can only have someone for certain lessons. I’m afraid that when I get older I may not have anyone at all.

• I feel like I’m a nuisance if I don’t understand things or it takes me longer than the other kids, so I just keep quiet. I know I’m different, but I don’t really understand what that means.

• I have a learning disability, but I am not stupid. Usually the adults make decisions as to what I should or shouldn’t do and I wish they would talk to me about it. One time they did ask me but when I said what I wanted to do they didn’t listen.

So how can we help?

• Children with learning disabilities can require longer to understand what is required as far as homework is concerned. By setting homework early in the lesson or handing it out written down, this can provide a disabled pupil with more time to ask questions if they need to, remove the potential distraction of other pupils leaving the room and provide more time to get to their next lesson.



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• Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment don’t always need to be

expensive or elaborate. We recognise that school budgets are often stretched, and it can be hard to know what will make a real impact for the child. Advice from professionals is always useful – you can contact [email protected] to learn more about individual cases, but this should always be done as part of a conversation with the pupil and their parent.

“School electronic information / web content that is not compatible with assistive technology” • Disabled children face unique challenges in accessing electronic /web information

and (when age appropriate) getting online. For example, a child with a learning disability may struggle to take in large amounts of text on-line.

So how can we help?





So how can we help?






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So how can we help?


“Barriers to engaging socially with non-disabled children which undermines disabled children’s self-esteem”

• I think because the Teachers treat me differently so do the other kids who don’t

have a learning disability. Sometimes even the other kids with disabilities treat me differently because I’m not as disabled as them. I don’t want to be treated as any different, it makes me feel awkward and so I don’t want to go to school.

• Not everyone understands what a learning disability is and so they just think I’m stupid or need to work harder. I do work harder than some of the kids that don’t have a disability, so I think it is unfair and I don’t want to play with them. They say I slow the lessons down because I need help, but I think it’s the kids that mess around that do that.

• I have a learning disability but I’m also really good at sport and like dogs. No one ever asks me about sport or dogs, all they ever want to talk about is my disability. I get bored with that and walk off.

• I do struggle sometimes in lessons and normally I ask questions when I do but when I’m in some lessons I don’t like to because some of the kids make fun of me. I don’t want to do anything wrong, so I mess around with the others. I’d rather be told off for misbehaving than have the others know I can’t do it.

So how can we help?



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Children with fluctuating/progressive conditions (ME, MS, Cancer, HIV) “School premises which are not universally accessible” • My ME means that sometimes I’m not very strong and I need help with doors as

some of them at school are really heavy. Some of the doors have a power assist button and they are really easy but others don’t.

• When my MS is bad I can’t walk very far, and it is getting worse. That means that places in the school I could get to before I now can’t, so I need to use the lift. I can’t have a key, so I have to wait for one of the adults to open it for me. Sometimes they forget and so I try to climb the stairs and then I’m late and really tired for the lesson.

So how can we help?




“Curricular / extra-curricular activities which are not universally accessible” • I don’t think everyone understands that just because I could do something last

year doesn’t mean I can do it this year. Sometimes I need them to change things at school, but they forget and that means that everyone gets annoyed with me when I say I can’t do it. I wanted to keep going to after school club, but they say as it’s in the hall I can’t go because it can’t be made accessible for me. I miss meeting my friends there.

• I have HIV which no one understands at school. Sometimes they won’t pick me for the team because they think they will catch it. I’d like the Teacher to stop making us pick teams because it’s embarrassing always being last.

• I don’t think everyone understands what it’s like to have MS. Some days I feel ok and others I don’t. I feel bad when I can’t go to school but sometimes I just can’t. I enjoy school, but it is hard to make friends sometimes because I’m not always there and I can’t join in with everything that the other kids do. My Teacher tried to

49

explain what MS is to everyone in the class, so they would understand but he made it way too complicated and everyone just got confused. I wish they would just ask me I could explain much better.

• I think it is harder when you have a condition like mine that gets better and then gets worse. The school have been great and put in place all these things like making sure I can sit near the front of the class, so it is easier for me, especially on days when I have to use sticks. I do get fed up though, of having to explain to new and temporary teachers why I have to do it, especially when I’m having a good day. Sometimes I think they think I’m not telling the truth.

• I had a really bad year last year and I missed loads of school. My HIV means I can get bugs really easily and I find it hard to get rid of them, so I was just sick a lot. In the end it meant that I wasn’t eligible for an award for my attendance. I know it is difficult because I wasn’t at school so why should I get rewarded, but it wasn’t like I wanted to be off school. I’m hoping this year will be better.

• I don’t think the school know how to support me because sometimes I need someone to take notes for me in class when I’m really tired or my joints hurt. In the past I’ve got a friend to do it when there wasn’t anyone available and I feel bad because some kids need someone all of the time. I might stay here for sixth form, but I wonder if I should go to another school that can afford to help me more. I don’t want to miss out because I want to go to university.

• When my disability is bad I feel like everyone just writes me off and when I feel better they just ignore me because they know at some point I will be bad again. Some of the kids call me things like ‘part-timer’ and take the micky when I do go to school. I’m always trying to catch up and that makes me tired, so I don’t think I will be passing my exams.

• No one explained to me or the other kids why I couldn’t do Rugby and I really wanted to try it. I know that I have to be careful with sports but I’m sure if they had of talked to me we could have found a way for me to do it. The adults always seem to decide without speaking to me and then they never explain why I have to do things the way they say.

So how can we help?

• Children with fluctuating / progressive conditions can feel very isolated. We need to consult further with disabled children to identify what behaviours by staff make them feel ‘different’ (in a negative way) or a nuisance’, as we need to understand what this means and how we can improve it.

• There is an expectation that ‘reasonable adjustments’ will be made by all public-sector organisations including schools. However, we recognise that this can be a very complicated and difficult area to get to grips with. One of the examples above was about a disabled child missing out on a reward because they can’t always be at school due to their disability - this is indirect discrimination. Instead reasonable adjustments could be made to attendance policies, so that disabled children can be applauded and rewarded for their

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attendance when this hasn’t been impacted upon by issues arising from their disability.

• Reasonable adjustments to the physical environment don’t always need to be expensive or elaborate. We recognise that school budgets are often stretched, and it can be hard to know what will make a real impact for the child. Advice from professionals is always useful – you can contact [email protected] to learn more about individual cases, but this should always be done as part of a conversation with the pupil and their parent.

“School electronic information / web content that is not compatible with assistive technology” • Disabled children with fluctuating / progressive conditions can rely heavily upon

accessing information remotely when they can’t attend school. A progressive condition may also mean that they require assistive technology at a certain point in their education which they will need to learn how to use, for example, a screen reader should their eyesight deteriorate.

So how can we help?





So how can we help?






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So how can we help?


Barriers to engaging socially with non-disabled children, which undermines disabled children’s self esteem • Sometimes I feel like it is harder for me to make friends than other kids because

of my disability. Because I have to be in a wheelchair now I have to use a different way in to the canteen than the others. There are some other kids that are in wheelchairs too, but I only need mine some of the time, so I haven’t really got to know them. My friends use a different door and get shouted at if they use the same one as me now.

• We sometimes have to work in pairs on projects, but no one wants to work with me because they know I’m sometimes away from school when my disability gets bad. Last time the Teacher had to make someone work with me and I was worried about letting them down, but we worked it so that when I was bad they came to my house or skyped me, so I didn’t get us behind. The Teacher explained why I wasn’t there each time, so everyone knew, and my classmate didn’t have to explain.

• I don’t know anyone who has HIV apart from me. We talked about it once at school but that was all about it being something that people in Africa have and people who are Gay. When I asked the Teacher about famous people who have it and are doing really well she couldn’t think of anyone. I just want to know there are other people like me who I can look up to and become really successful. Just because I’m disabled doesn’t mean I can only look up to someone in a wheelchair.

• Because my disability is getting worse that seems to be all that anyone wants to talk about. I used to be funny and be able to make my classmates laugh but now they just want to talk about why I’m in a wheelchair and whether my legs hurt or not. They don’t seem to realise that it is my disability that is changing not me.

• Sometimes I drop things when I’m tired. I hate trying to carry my lunch tray if it’s a bad day because I’m afraid of dropping it. Friends will carry it if I ask them, but I

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don’t like to, especially as I don’t need them to all the time. Once one of the other kids said I was lazy not even carrying my own lunch.

“Lack of funding for schools to buy staff training, and lack of guidance about which suppliers will provide the option that best meets their needs”. It is difficult for schools to know which training provider to use, especially as there are often a myriad of options available. Given the difference in cost and quality, especially when budgets are under pressure this can lead to inappropriate action being taken.

So how can we help?


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Parents with disabilities It is sometimes difficult for disabled parents who want to actively participate in their child’s education to do so. This can be for a number of reasons, but the following are some examples of what disabled parents have experienced.

• The Primary School has great accessibility despite half building being older. They have embraced disability having 4 disabled only parking bays painted however policing them is a second thought.

• Inside the primary school has spacious corridors and accommodates parents with disabilities for assemblies.

• The High School has pushed back disabled parking approximately 20 metres further away from school entrance for anti-terror measures and student safety placing disabled at more of a disadvantage.

• When my granddaughter got to the age to go to nursery I used to go and pick her up and take her for my daughter who went to college, the nursery were very good on the arrangements because I could get into the school but due to security they could not open the both doors in case any children got in the way or they got hurt on my wheelchair so they used to bring her out to me or I would take someone with me.

• There is a lack of handrails at the school supporting me to access it.

• The lift in the school is not fire safe – so I need to be able to transfer to an evacuation chair in order to use upper levels. However, no one has ever done a personal emergency evacuation plan with me. I don’t even know if the school has evac chairs. The lift is also pretty small – if I needed someone to be with me they’d have to be pretty slim.

• Never been told about what happens in a fire. How do schools know who they have attending events and so therefore the amount of disabled people that need support in an emergency?

• Primary school has access policy, couldn’t find one on High School website anywhere.

• Often the school will not provide someone to help someone with a visual impairment to access the school itself, often have to ask my son or daughter to help.

• There is no consideration for Disabled Parents at crowded parent’s evenings and is difficult for walking disabled and could only imagine impossible for site disabled.

• Parents evenings a nightmare if you have a visual impairment, queueing system, people push in, not informed if teachers not available, crowded and rushing about from room to room, no feedback when teacher not there even though I was promised they would call me, have to rely on daughter’s support.

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• Meetings with head of school and meet a greet sessions are held upstairs

with no provision for disabled parents.

• I attend events – awards ceremonies, assemblies etc. and there is never a space allocated to me despite me sending an RSVP and reminding them I use a wheelchair, so I have to ask others to move chairs to find a space and usually end up blocking others sight lines. Awkward, embarrassing and unnecessary.

• I can never go on trips with my child – the additional hassle and cost of transporting me and my chair is too much to ask the school to bear.

• I didn’t go to parents evening when the lift became out of order - not wanting to rock boat – and staff got told of this, but not me – despite the school knowing well my mobility status

• No help or support available to Disabled Parents generally, feeling is that they have to manage or ask other parents for help.

• Reluctant to ask for support from schools or ask for change as not confident that this will be put in place or happen.

• At Primary school it is much easier to make relationships with other parents for support, whereas at high school this is often not possible.

• HS generally does not do anything to encourage disabled people in fact in applying for a parent governor was asked would I have a conflict of interest with disability issues being chair of an access group.

• Whilst I was on my mental health ‘Recovery Journey’ and receiving support from the NSFT Crisis Team, my daughters were able to attend an After-School Club (Extended School), run by their Primary School. Funding was also provided through the County Council to cover the cost of my daughters attending the club. They were also able to attend Holidays Clubs run at their Primary school during the school holidays, this was also funded by the County Council. I feel this ensured my daughters were able to enjoy socialising with their school friends during my ‘Recovery Journey’ and this then meant my anxieties were lessened during this period and I was then able to gradually feel much less like I had failed my children by being mentally unwell.

• Following a Mental Breakdown, when I was diagnosed with Severe Depression and High Anxiety levels and I was receiving intensive support from the NSFT Mental Health Crisis Team. I was prescribed medication which was at a high dose, this then affected my concentration levels, so I choose not to drive during this time, as I felt it would not be safe to do so. Whilst I was at an event the Head Teacher came over to me and asked why I did not drive anymore? I replied it is due to the medication I have to take. She then wandered off. After this I then felt uncomfortable whenever speaking to the Head Teacher and also felt she was unsupportive to parents with Mental Ill Health. It also made me feel I had failed as a mum and was being judged by the Head Teacher. Thankfully this changed when my daughters attended High

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School, where the staff were very understanding and supportive of my mental health difficulties.

• The Accessibility of information provided by schools (electronic or physical information. Difficult to access written information that is sent home due to dyslexia, dread any form of written communication with the school.

• Often presentations from teachers are inaccessible, especially if Disabled Parent is attending a parents evening by themselves.

• Information not accessible to people with a Visual Impairment, reading, filling in diaries etc., no accessible formats offered.

• School does not engage with Disabled Parents on their Access requirements and don’t feel able to approach them to discuss.

• Not confident anyone at the school will know about making things accessible /supporting me even if I do contact them

• Many schools are ‘doing their bit’ to save the planet so changed the communication to parents from hard-copy (letters etc.) to emails and online communication (school website. However, during periods of mental ill health I struggled to read emails and look at websites. So, I contacted the High School and I requested hard-copies of all letters and information going out to parents and they were more than happy to send letters home with my daughters.

• I go on the school websites or get the kids to read the newsletters to me. My partner gets text alerts from them.

So how can we help?

• More consistency in school’s approach to Disabled Parents including specific engagement with Disabled Parents at an early stage of their child’s education at that school to enable them to take an active part in school life such as attending parent’s evenings and school assemblies.

• Creation of support networks for Disabled Parents and parents with disabled children

• Encourage Disabled Parents to become School Governors

If you need this report in large print, audio, braille, alternative format or in a different language please contact 0344 800 8020 or 0344 800 8011 (textphone) and we will do our best to help.

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Notes: How we developed the Strategy We have conducted an evidence review to identify the key barriers to education that disabled children in Norfolk face - and the challenges that schools face in addressing these barriers.

So far, we have gathered evidence from a range of settings, children, parents and carers. This includes:

• 100 young people with special educational needs, supported by the County Council’s Vulnerable Groups Achievement and Access Service

• 15 disabled young people aged 14 to 21 from across Norfolk who provided film evidence about their lives in relation to education and schools

• The Dragon’s project (a group of eight disabled young people aged 14 to 21) • The Hamlet Centre, a charity providing educational and social opportunities

for 500 families with children or adults with complex disabilities and health needs.

• Disabled Parents group facilitated by Equal Lives • Vulnerable Groups Achievement and Access Service • Education High Needs SEND Service • Norfolk County Council Sensory Support team (Adult Social Care) • Educate Norfolk, a membership-based organisation for head teachers, senior

education leaders and Multi-Academy Trust CEOs working in primary and secondary phase schools in Norfolk.

schools accessibility strategy

Documents