Joe Whittaker Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) INCLUSIVE EDUCATION The Struggle for Reasonable Accommodation Zagreb 2014

There is something I don’t know that I am supposed to know. I don’t know what it is I don’t know, and yet am supposed to know. And I feel I look stupid if I seem both not to know it And not know what it is I don’t know. Therefore, I pretend I know it. This is nerve-wracking since I don’t know what I must pretend to know. Therefore, I pretend I know everything. R.D. Laing, Knots (1970 )

Disability “A loss or limitation of the ability to take part in ordinary life on an equal basis as others due to the physical and social barriers.” Adopted by Disabled People at the International Conference in You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.Equality Act 2010

What is Inclusion ? Inclusion is expressed by terms like “belonging” “unity” and “being wanted”. It is not a placement. It is a philosophy that says classrooms - and communities - cannot be complete unless all learners are welcome. Marsha Forrest. Center for Inclusive Education. Toronto,Canada. July 1988.

‘Staff Room Comments’ “... But Mary if I explained it once I must have explained it a hundred times and still she did not understand.” “Look if the rest of the group can do it there is no reason why he should not be able to do it.” “…I told his mother if she wanted him included he’ll do the same as the other kids” “She has all the support she needs – still failed it.”.

When you are a baby your mother feeds you from her bozom, but she can only do milk Felicity age 7 I think God’s silly because he should have painted every body the same colour and then they wouldn’t fight Ricardo age 7 All my clothes have had other people in them Paolo age 7 You have to love your own baby, because everyone else finds them a newsance Patrick age 8 What Children Say

Barriers to reasonable accommodation: We don’t have the money. We don’t have the experts. What about the other students? We have to be realistic. It is unreasonable because we don’t have the mainstream ready yet. It is reasonable to include everyone

UK duty to make reasonable accommodations since ts.com/sites/default/files/upl oads/documents/reasonable _adjustments_for_disabled_p upils_guidance_pdf.pdf 2009 UNCRPD Article Countries have adopted The Convention 148 Ratified the Convention

1.) Independent Parental Special Education Advice.(IPSEA) - a national independent body providing a critical analysis of government SE legislation (advice and advocacy to parents) The latest SEN legislation: The Children and Families Act The multidisciplinary approach to assessment. 2.) The UK Government website of assessment and support of children with SEN need-to-know/ehc-plans 3.) The UK Special Education Tribunal Service, information and procedures for when there is a dispute between families and special education providers. need-to-know/ehc-plans

There is a legal obligation on the Education, Health and Social services, to work together to make one multi - disciplinary assessment for a child with SEN. Once this assessment has been provided there is a legal requirement for the local authority to prove the necessary support for the child ( technical aids or differentiation of the curriculum or a personal assistant etc) This approach, prevents the child being subjected to a wide range of assessments from a wide range of professionals. to-know/ehc-plans to-know/ehc-plans

Example: A disabled pupil who attends a mainstream school has a tracheotomy which needs monitoring and he needs occasional intervention to clear his airways. The school carries out a risk assessment and identifies that he needs to have a member of staff who is able to provide the necessary monitoring and intervention with him at all times. The school has several support staff who are trained and contractually obliged to administer medication to pupils. The school arranges for these staff and any others who volunteer to be trained in tracheotomy care and then timetables are adjusted of the trained staff so one is always able to monitor the pupil. All staff are trained in identifying when the pupil needs intervention and provided with radio microphones so that they can summon assistance from another member of staff if necessary. These are reasonable adjustments for the school to make in response to the risk assessment.

The Reasonable Person. Reasonable men/women adapt to the world as it is. Unreasonable men/women will struggle to make the world adapt to them. Therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable person.