Press release: Disabled People Challenge Government SEND Reform Proposals Over Segregation Concerns

24 April 2026

Disabled People’s Organisations will gather in Manchester and online to challenge government SEND reform proposals and hear from groups they say are underrepresented in the consultation process.

The government’s SEND Reform Consultation is due to close on 18 May. In its consultation and Schools White Paper, the government has set out proposals for changes to the SEND system. However, the Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) has raised concerns about several aspects of the proposals, including:

• That Inclusion Bases in schools increase segregation, rather than inclusion
• That segregated education settings are being prioritised for funding
• That concerns from Disabled people are not being reflected in the proposals

ALLFIE, alongside the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, will launch the Northern Inclusive Education Network at an event titled Build Inclusion: Educate, Don’t Segregate, taking place in Manchester and online via Zoom on 30 April. The event will bring together Disabled people and organisations from across the UK to discuss Government SEND reform proposals.

The event will provide a clear, accessible overview of the proposals and discuss their potential implications for Disabled children and young people. Attendees will also have the opportunity to share lived experiences and perspectives on the proposed changes.

Sessions will be facilitated by members of ALLFIE’s youth campaigning and activism project, Our Voice, as well as representatives from Disabled People’s Organisations and staff from both organisations.

Organisers say young Disabled people, who are currently navigating, or have recently navigated, the SEND system, are best placed to describe its impacts in practice. They also highlight the role of grassroots organisations, which draw on long-standing experience in Inclusive Education and Disabled people’s rights.

Lani Parker, of the Alliance for Inclusive Education:

“Young Disabled people and grassroots Disabled people-led organisations are often not adequately involved in decisions that directly affect them.

“We believe those with lived experience of the SEND system should be fully included in shaping reforms.

“The current proposals risk weakening the rights of Disabled children and young people to learn alongside their peers. We are calling for a system that delivers Inclusive Education in practice for every Disabled child and young person.”

Organisers also warn that the proposals will deepen exclusion and segregation for already marginalised communities, including Disabled people experiencing intersecting inequalities related to race, class, gender and sexuality, who are often disproportionately affected by systemic barriers.

Umar Aziz Khan, ALLFIE Our Voice member:

“Our Voice is a campaign group where young Disabled people make sure our voices are heard. We are fighting for an education system that is inclusive for everyone.

“These SEND reforms will have a big impact on young people, and the government needs to listen to our voices, especially those of us who have recently been through the system or are in it now. We want education to improve now and for future generations, rather than lead to further segregation.

“We do not want to be segregated. We want to be genuinely included. As a collective of young Disabled people, we are concerned that the proposals in the White Paper risk doing the opposite.”

Rick Burgess, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People:

“Our late chair Joe Whitaker was a prominent activist for Inclusive Education, and we remain committed to creating a future free of segregation. There may well be opportunities in the Greater Manchester City Region and other Northern areas for innovation and pilots, but that requires us to join together and lobby for progress, this event begins that process. Particularly at this time of a new Education White Paper, we need our voices to be heard.”

Edmore Masendeke, ALLFIE Policy and Research Lead:

“The launch of the Northern Inclusive Education Network is about strengthening our movement for Inclusive Education and building collective voices for change. By working alongside Disabled People’s Organisations across the North and beyond, we are bringing together everyone who believes every Disabled child and young person has the right to learn, participate and belong in mainstream education.

“At a time when SEND reforms risk driving greater segregation and exclusion, we need a united voice that will challenge discriminatory policies and demand laws that are rooted in human rights, equality and inclusion. ALLFIE is clear in our campaign for a national policy that secures a fully Inclusive Education system that works for all.”

Event booking: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/build-inclusion-educate-dont-segregate-tickets-1984965051904

Notes to editors: 

ALLFIE (Alliance for Inclusive Education) is a Disabled People’s Organisation founded in 1990 and led by Disabled people. It is a UK-based organisation focused on campaigning and information-sharing on education, training and apprenticeship issues affecting Disabled people.

It is the only national Disabled People’s Organisation in the UK focused specifically on Inclusive Education. ALLFIE campaigns for the right of all Disabled pupils and students to be fully included in mainstream education, training and apprenticeships with the necessary support.

ALLFIE believes that Inclusive Education is the basis of lifelong equality. It argues that children who learn and play together are more likely to grow into adults who understand and respect difference.

Media enquiries: edmore.masendeke@allfie.org.uk