• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / Minister faces schools inclusion questions

Minister faces schools inclusion questions

By guest on 1st November 2009 Category: News Archive

Listen

A schools minister has faced a series of critical questions on what the government is doing to improve mainstream education for disabled children.

Diana Johnson MP was speaking to a joint meeting of parliamentary groups on disability, children, autism and youth affairs.

She told the meeting that £340 million had been allocated to improve short breaks, community equipment and wheelchair provision, and palliative care, through the child health strategy earlier this year.

The same sum was allocated to improve council services over the same period of 2008-11, through the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme.

Johnson said that in 2008-09, in 21 pathfinder areas developing best practice in short breaks, there were nearly 13,000 more overnight breaks than in 2007-08, and 376,000 more hours of daytime short break provision, although AHDC was not yet “embedded throughout the country”.

But Baroness [Jane] Campbell asked what plans the government had for improving inclusion into mainstream education for disabled children, as they “still have to fight to get into mainstream schools” and many schools are “still not accessible to the standard that should be met under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)”.

Caroline Ellis, joint deputy chief executive of RADAR, asked whether the minister was in favour of including, in the new equality bill, a right for support for disabled pupils by ensuring they have access to auxiliary aids and services, as recommended by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).

But Johnson said she was “not sure the equality bill would be the best place” for such an amendment and that it was “something we need to have a look at and see what is the best way of taking that forward”.

Ellis also raised concerns about the potential “watering-down” of the disability equality duty in the equality bill.

And she said many schools had not even bothered to draw up a disability equality scheme.

After the meeting, a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) spokesman said the government was working with schools and local authorities to raise awareness of schools’ duties under the DDA, including visits, workshops and an “easy to understand pamphlet” being circulated to teachers.

He said the DCSF had also introduced a minimum design standard for secondary schools, which includes regulations on disabled facilities, as well as “clear school design guidance to make sure that all buildings have good facilities for children with disabilities and special educational needs”.

3 November 2009

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on RedditShare on LinkedIn
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

On the left of the image are multiple heads of different colours - white, aqua, red, light brown, and dark green - all grouped together, then the words ‘Campaign for Disability Justice. Sign up to support. #OpportunitySecurityRespect’
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Access

Latest Stories

Government ignores warnings of new DWP deaths, and UN intervention, as MPs pass universal credit cuts bill

Urgent letter from UN to Labour government warns: We think your cuts continue Tory attack on disability rights

Race against time to secure DWP deaths evidence before parliament passes new benefit cuts bill

‘Complete shift in thinking’ needed on education of disabled children, says ALLFIE

Minister ignored concerns from disabled advisers, months before publishing cuts bill

Frustration after government only issues partial ban on new floating bus stops

Report suggests five big ideas that could transform disabled people’s mobility

My new book shows exactly why we need the disability movement, says disabled author

‘Disastrous’ cuts bill that leaves legacy of distrust and distress ‘must be dropped’

Four disabled Labour MPs stand up to government over cuts to disability benefits

Advice and Information

Readspeaker
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web