Planning improvements for disabled pupils' access to education - consultation report
This report provides an analysis of responses to the Scottish Government's consultation on draft guidance on the Disability Strategies and Pupils' Educational Records (Scotland) Act 2002 ("the 2002 Act"). The 2002 Act contains duties which require "responsible bodies" (education authorities, and those responsible for the management of independent and grant-aided schools) to prepare and implement an accessibility strategy for all the schools for whom they are responsible. The accessibility strategy must refer to how the responsible body intends, over time, to:
- increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum;
- improve the physical environment of schools to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of education and associated services provided or offered by the schools; and
- improve communication with disabled pupils, in particular improving communication within a reasonable time, and in ways which are determined after taking account of their disabilities and any preferences expressed by them or their parents (for example in different formats), of information that is provided in writing for pupils, or persons who might be admitted as pupils who do not have a disability
The report concludes:
“Overall, the revised guidance has been welcomed and has been accepted in broad terms. However, as was expected some areas for improvement have been identified. Most consensus from respondents was achieved around the structure of the guidance. The responses to the other questions indicated that some amendments were needed, but there was little consensus within the comments.”
You can view the report at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/05/5493