Resources

Yewande Akintelu-Omoniyi describes her involvement in ALLFIE’s projects to empower Young people.

You would be forgiven for thinking that, by now, it would be more possible than ever before for a Disabled child to attend mainstream school or college of their choice. Well you would be very wrong.

When Article 24 of UNCRPD was being framed at the United Nations (2001-2006) there was much disagreement between sensory impairment organisations and other Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), the former arguing for a right to segregation. This led to a weak and compromised wording.

“We need to make every single thing accessible to every single disabled person.” Stevie Wonder

If the title of this article sounds like something from a horror movie, then it rightly depicts many of the experiences of families who have children and Young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), when trying to access their right to mainstream schools and much needed provision that supports aspirational learning.

We should not create ‘a new normal’ only to fit back into the ‘old normal’.

Many outside the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) community were shocked by BBC’s Panorama 7th September programme on the fight for education faced by disabled children and their families. But for those within our community this was not news.

One Young woman’s journey towards inclusive education. An interview with Melissa Acar, by Lisa Murphy.

The impact of the lockdown and Covid-19 continues to dramatically impact on UK Society and is enlarging existing social inequalities, especially for Disabled adults and families with Disabled children.

“My son Martin’s mainstream school is in a locked down area. The school has told us that all the children in his year group will be sent home until further notice. All lessons will now be delivered on-line. My son uses adaptive computer technology with assisted technology at school. The school have said we are unable to take my son’s computer technology home. The Head of IT said that she is unable to set it up in our home after a Covid-19 risk assessment. We do not have the computer equipment at home, which means that Martin will not be able to access the school curriculum without access to adaptive and assisted technology. What are mine and my son’s rights?”

Welcome to the 57th edition, packed with topical articles covering: Covid-19 and Inclusive Education; Disability History Month on the theme of Access; voices of Young Disabled people; plus much more!

Inclusion Now 56, Summer 2020