accessible course may not be accessible

[ScarboroughFairy]

I recently started an "accessible" course for those with disabilities and it was recommended to me through the job centre. All but one of the staff members running it, don't understand the complexities of disabilities and seem to think that a few adjustments are all that's needed.

I am on the course to gain new skills and eventually get a better job. It runs for about 6 weeks. I've never been on one before so I didn't know what to expect, and it requires daily work in order to spread the load out, then a 9am-5pm days worth of work weekly which is really pushing it for me. They don't give you a lot of time - for financial reasons. I know it would have been decided by someone higher than them in the chain.
They expect a lot of weekly progress. I've been to two meetings so far and so far I've only made notes and a to do list but haven't managed to action any of it yet which is frustrating my mentor.

What is the course meant to be teaching you/what employment could it lead to? And what further adjustments do you think you need to help you complete it? Is the teaching decent?

It could just be that it's just fairly mediocre across the board, as are many of these dwp linked 'training schemes'.

What adjustments do you need that you aren’t getting? Can you talk to your mentor about it?

What course it is and why are you struggling to follow up the tasks? Have you identified any adjustments which might help you.

If you feel it's not accessible for you personally, you need to tell them in bullet points what the problems are and give them a chance to try to help.

And if it is an accredited course the framework and programme will be determined by the accrediting body not those organising or delivering it.

What adjustments do you want and have you actually asked for them?

The only problem is that they are cramming everything into such a short time frame expecting quick and big results

So what would help you to cope better with that? Presumably there is a structure to the course and each taught session. Do you get given handouts/powerpoint and can you review these afterwards? Are there any online resources which could support your learning? Have you been out of education/training for a while perhaps and need help with study skills rather than the course content or level itself ?

I am too tired to do it all in the short timeframe we're given. I can't think straight anymore. Maybe everyone else is more capable than me.

Then you need to explain that to them - you can't expect them to be mindreaders.

There is nothing they can do about it. It's all down to funding and decided by people in the roles above them. I am looking for tips and advice on how to manage

So when do you actually attend the course? Daily or once a week?
How many extra hours a week are they expecting you to do?
How many hours do you think you can do?
Is the course in person or on line?
What is it you are finding too tiring?

What is tiring , the 9-5, Homework? Combining it with other things going on at home? Is it so different to a ft job or whatever it may lead on to?

Do you know this or is it an assumption?
You don’t know what further assistance they might be able to offer you if you don’t speak to them.

This is quite vague really - it seems no one has medically retired you or given you a medical limit in the hours you can do and -9 to 5 is a normal working day which is why they want that level of activity ?

Are you working? Is that why you’re struggling to find the time to fit it in? I can imagine that if you are out of work this level of expectation isn’t high given you have nothing else to do all day. But if you are in work and have children then it’s probably a lot

This is an odd comment. Surely it's not difficult to understand that there is a middle ground between medically retired and able to work full time? Both physical and mental disability can be very tiring and disability can also affect things like sleep and ability to take care of ones overall health, e.g. amount of exercise you can do. It's not the case that because someone is capable of a few hours' work they should be expected manage a 9-5.

OP is disabled… part of that may be that she tires sooner.

Im not sure why everyone’s being so snappy at OP.
She’s on a course that is full time + homework and is struggling with her disability to manage the full on nature of the course despite it being pinned as ‘accessible’. That’s it! No need to berate or act like she’s asking for a thousand adjustments… it would be better for her if it was less intensive.

OP I would ask the course leaders if there is anything they can do to slow the course down. If not then you may have to withdraw - and tell them sternly why - if you cannot manage it.

Well that's why I've asked questions - from the OP I don't think it is a full time course. They need to clarify exactly what is being asked if them, and then we might be able to offer suggestions on ways to help.

How do you know there's nothing they can do about it - have you asked?

They may allow extra time for homework to be handed in, etc. Unless they are alerted to there being a problem, they definitely won't be able to do anything.

Nowhere does she say her disability makes her tire sooner. She also says she hopes the course will help her get a ‘better job’ which indicates she may already be working. She also does not say the course is full time. Merely 1 x 9-5 per week. Plus homework.
Now if she’s working full time that would be very difficult to fit in. If she is not working at all. Then it wouldn’t. So establishing why it is so difficult for her is reasonable

Can you give me the number of the magical fairy that does everything for you so that you can work full time and do nothing else.
Seriously.
I will try to give more information. Yes it is an intensive course, I was referred through the job centre. The terms and how it works were briefly explained to us in the beginning and we had to sign something. During that time they explained how the funding works and it seems like this is just how it is, there are a certain number of spaces and then after the however many weeks the course is they move onto their next members and that is just how their funding works through the government? There is a meeting one full day a week once a week. Then because of the work load created in that meeting we need to spend every other day actioning what we learnt. There is soon another meeting with more workload, and the list gets more overwhelming. I have never worked full time before. I really want to manage this so I was looking for advice on how to manage the load and get it done as I don't want to miss out

That's not entirely true, they can make reasonable adjustments for your disability. I was put on what sounds like a similar course. I had been out of work for a while as I'd had one hand op then a wait for the other one, then issues with the second one which meant extended rehab. I pointed out that I couldn't write or type without pain, so they arranged for someone to do that for me. When it became obvious the course was too much for me, I was deferred to a later one. I never actually did it as I found myself a job before then, but once I'd explained my difficulties they made adjustments. They also then helped with my access to work claim once I got a job.

It sounds a bit of a weird course. I am not disabled, and work full-time, and I would be knackered after a whole day meeting!

However, you're looking for ways to manage. Have you got one dedicated notebook / Google space for this course? You could ask the tutor to re-cap the actions at the end of each session, and then make a note of them.

Are they expecting you to feedback how youve completed the actions every week? Can you pick one or two of the actions and follow them through the week?

I do think irs worth saying to the course leader that the pace is a bit fast, and is there any way of slowing it down a bit. There may not be, but if you don't ask, you wont find out.