Journal/Accessibility - How accessible is your establishment

The beginning of this month, October 2004, ushered in the legal requirement for all businesses and educational establishments to plan for and implement changes to the physical access, resources and working practices that will make them much more accessible to all including people with any form of disability. These changes are also known as “reasonable adjustments”. For businesses, and that includes MGL too, the changes in the law require that information and facilities are accessible to employees as well as customers, and while the areas that apply to schools may differ in some respects to businesses, the principles of developing an inclusive learning or work place are the same.

Inclusion now recognises that it is the environment, and the attitudes of others that are the main barriers to inclusive practise, the social model of inclusion. By adjusting our perceptions and attitudes, adapting resources and providing alternative strategies we are increasing accessibility for everyone by reducing the disabling effects of the environment, policies or practices. The Government’s document on “Overcoming Barriers to Learning” also echoes this notion and sets out how schools can become inclusive in their practise.

In writing this article for example the author uses one of the recommended font types (Arial) and sizes (12) with left aligned text at 1.5 line spacing as a basic recommendation to make this text readable to a wider audience, some of whom may have visual difficulty with reading smaller print.

In respect of schools and educational establishments, all LEA’s and their schools have been required to write an Accessibility Plan with short, medium and long-term goals. These goals must state how the school will make changes to:

The Physical Environment
Identifying physical barriers within the school and the steps it will take to overcome these, such as; Clear signs and routes, access to seating, tables and resources, door and passageway access, ramps, lifts to higher floors and disabled facilities.

Access to the Curriculum
This covers a wide area with some obvious aspects such as recording strategies, and suitably adapted and differentiated curriculum materials.

Access to Information
Being aware that information such as the school prospectus, Policies and other essential documents can be translated into other forms such as Braille, and plain English.

While the planning format for schools has provided a framework in which goals can be recorded on a general level, schools will now need to consider the practicalities of how these areas can be prioritised and planned for in further detail. For example, with Curriculum Access, Staff training in communication and physical management strategies along with an understanding of the particular pupil needs as they affect their social and academic learning is likely to be required. Procedures and processes for disseminating information and expertise will also need to be established. The Index for inclusion should by now be in every school, and while this contains a lot of things for a school to consider, it is a document that is worth working through as a tool for developing an inclusive school.

At MGL the SEN consultancy service has been working to address such a need and is now able to offer schools an Accessibility Planning service that will audit the school’s provision and strategy. This can be tailored to fit the focus and priority of the school, from an all-in one comprehensive audit across all three strands, to tackling each strand individually in stages over a period of time. The result will be a detailed report on the school’s provision in each of the areas and an Action plan with specific and measurable targets. In addition to or as part of the service, we can review and update the SEN, Child protection, Equal opportunities and into comprehensive updated documentation.

Now is the time to begin to review the Accessibility Plan, first, whether the plan is comprehensive enough in its scope, taking account of current pupil needs and future pupils and parents who may apply for a placement, and second; how these broad goals will be broken down into achievable targets.