Disabled learners rights to mainstream education - Equality Act 2010 Simone Aspis (Policy and Campaigns Coordinator)

What will the Equality Act cover in relation to education? Getting into education (Admissions) Whilst in education Being told to leave Education (Exclusion) Learning outside lessons (Field Trips) Work Experience (Internships) Tests and Assessments (Qualifications)

Who is a Disabled Person? Special Educational Needs We believe children with special educational needs should be considered as disabled people under the guidance.

Equality Act 2010 says learners cannot be discriminated against simply because they are disabled. Equality Act 2010 does not give disabled learners an absolute right to mainstream education – its often down to what is reasonable. Disabled

Some potential Equality Act test cases against individual education providers (schools, colleges and Universities) Qualifications entry requirements Adapting the course curriculum Not enough money to pay for communication Support when preparing coursework Getting into the building (e.g. Listed buildings Time or length of course, lesson or coursework Assessment Methods Used

Public Sector Equality Duty Public Bodies will be under a general duty to advance equality opportunities and foster good relations between disabled and non disabled people. Some Public Bodies will be under a specific duty to promote equality but they are not required to work on all equality strands all at once. Equality?

BIS’s Apprenticeships Achievements regulations Ofqual’s Qualifications regulations BIS ‘s Age limit for getting DSA BIS FE Funding policy – Payment by results Health and Safety and Fit to Practise HSE regulations Fit to Practise - trainee social worker, lawyer or teacher Some potential Equality Act test cases against Public Bodies Polices and Decisions made

Special Educational Needs Law and Equality Act 2010 SEN  SEN law allows for disabled children to be discriminated against when wanting a mainstream school placement;  Equality Act law requires Education Providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children in any type of school;  Equality Act law assumes that forced segregation of people because of their race is always wrong. This is not the case for disabled people and it’s wrong.

Government plans and why we have to ACT NOW! Government wants to “remove a bias towards the inclusion of disabled children in mainstream schools”. LD We need everyone to support ALLFIE’s 6 very achievable demands Disability equality training to be compulsory for all education professionals and staff. All disabled learners to have the legal and human right to attend mainstream courses in mainstream education settings. All education assessments and accreditations to be inclusive. All disabled learners to have the legal right to individualised support. All mainstream course and curricula to be accessible to and inclusive of disabled learners. All Education buildings to be accessible to all disabled learners. WE KNOW INCLUSION WORKS CAMPAIGN