in thinking this 'reasonable adjustment' is unreasonable?

[hedgehogsdontbite]

I've recently started a course at my local college. My class is on the second floor and all facilities are on the ground floor. There is a lift which is not normally available to students and requires a key to operate. Keys are only issued to staff members, so I can't use the lift on my own.

I'm finding this more disabling than enabling. I have to wait by the lift in the hope that a member of staff wanders by and that I can identify them as staff. Or send a text to my teacher so she can come down and get me. I can't even go to the toilet on my own. I feel really uncomfortable with the attention this adjustment brings about and just want to be able to come and go like everyone else.

AIBU?

God, that's dreadful - In your shoes I'd hold a protest in the doorway of the lift so it couldn't go anywhere until someone gave me a key.

You absolutely need to escalate this. Do they have an Equalities Policy? If so, get it and start asking urgent questions why they're not implementing it. If they have a staff member with specific responsibility for equality and inclusion, make their life hell. If you haven't already done it, put in a complaint and, again, get hold of a copy of the complaints policy and ensure they follow it. Go to the college governors or equivalent; if they're funded by the government or anything similar, contact whoever provides the funding.

Would I be right in thinking that Swedish law has similar disability discrimination laws to ours? If so, tell them that if they don't sort this out you will be taking legal proceedings including a claim for damages.

That is awful. Really awful. Sorries are not enough, at all!

How have other students on the course reacted? Are they aware it's happening, and are they also not happy about the treatment you are having to put up with? Surely they must be willing to show some solidarity and protest collectively until a solution is forthcoming.

It's unacceptable, they should give you a key.
I'd also ask what their plan is if there was an emergency and the building had to be evacuated since the lift won't be used in an emergency. At my work place they have a plan to use an evacuation chair if there are students with disabilities upstairs.

Givn the events of today and current lack of action, I would escalate your complaint immediately. I'd make clear how upset and humiliated your felt and that his is because of the way youre being treated due to your disability and their failure to provide any accomodation of them.

Rubbish update. I can't believe this is happening to you in 2015. It's shocking. Don't be bullied into accepting this.
Would you not be entitled to some sort of learning support assistant, who would be solely to assist you? (and maybe then as an employee would have the key).

They are breaking the Equality Act 2010 with this. I had a very similar situation with a similar type of institution, took some advice, wrote a letter pointing this out, and they had to change their procedures not just for me but for eveyone else, too.

Good luck.

And bloody hell, read the update.

They are behaving incredibly badly and they are continuing to break the law. They are materially damaging your education by their actions, and you have every right to make a massive fuss until they do.

(But I totally get how it's so bloody exhausting to have to fight for every little thing.)

I swear I've seen this fred before

Probably a month ago when I started it pizzaeatingmonkey. I've just updated.

I work in a university. If this happened here I'd write to the ProVC for student experience and request immediate action.

You are being discriminated against and that is illegal. They need to sort themselves out yesterday.

Don't be embarrassed. Be embarrassed for them that they are so bad at this legal requirement.

I've sent this to the head of the college, is it too much?:

I started sfi in xxxx a month ago. I have a disability and need to use the lift. The caretaker has told my teachers that I cannot have a key for the lift. This means I have to wait for my teacher every time I need to go in or out of class. I feel that this is not acceptable. It takes away my independence and draws unnecessary attention to my disabilty. My teachers have been trying to sort this out but it has been ongoing for over a month now.

Today my teacher was very busy and forgot about me. I waited for 20 minutes before another member of staff passed and unlocked the lift for me. I was extremely upset. I felt marginalised and humiliated. This discrimination has to stop.

Please can you tell me who I need to speak to to ensure I have equal access to my class as everyone else.

No it's not too much at all. It's factual and to the point. I really hope the head gets on this as soon as possible. They way you have been treated is completely unacceptable.

One thing I'm not sure of is who is ultimately responsible. As is common here the building is multi-purpose so the head of the college may not be the right person. But hopefully he'll at least know who is responsible.

That's very measured, OP.

Is it possible to do your class in a downstairs classroom ,if it doesn't. Red to be held in a specific class because of specialist equipment. That would solve the issue surely

Sorry missed there was more than one page. Sorry about what happened.

OP, I would go straight to the local MP now. im sorry they are being such shits.

Gosh, if anything, I think your email is too nice.

I think you need to ask for a meeting (with your support worker present - have you updated them with the latest?) and I think you need to write out every single incident that you can think of and present it to them.

Hopefully they will come up with a solution (like giving you a key). Ask for the meeting to be minuted and for a copy afterwards.

They really need a boot up the arse

Oh, good grief. It's a very calm letter under the circumstances. If you haven't sent it, yet, you need to make clear that what they are doing is illegal.

mama, giving hedgehog a key for the lift is a far simpler solution than decamping a whole class, plus whatever resources and equipment are needed, to a different floor.

I am very angry on your behalf

You need to contact whoever the disability or equality officer is.

I had similar at a UK university, in the end the class was moved to the ground floor with another class moved just because of me . I Wasn't in a wheelchair but couldn't climb stairs. However, as the disability rights officer (as they were then) pointed out if there was a fire I would be trapped and it would be their fault (this all came to light after a routine fire evacuation when I was abandoned as there was no way out for me) and the university got into a huge amount of trouble with the fire brigade as well.

I had mentioned it previously to staff but was told just find someone's on help and thats all we need to do, very much like you are.

You need to find out who the equivilent person is in your college for disability students/equality, there will be someone every uni has one, and get them to escalate it.

This was over ten years ago, it's very, very different now. When I applied to do my undergrad I was sent a prospectus that said the university was unsuitable for the disabled and not to apply!

Giving hedgehog a key is not an adjustment either in terms of a fire exit.

If it is locked it cannot be a designated fire exit, lifts that can be used in the event of a fire are horrendously expensive and subject to far more checks than regular ones and can never have a lock put on them (I worked in a hospital where there was such a lift so know a bit about them). 99% of lifts aren't emergency lifts and will not work if a fire alarm is going off, if they are moving the stop at the nearest floor and cannot be overridden. I am in the UK but I think the same applies for emergency lifts elsewhere (though i could be wrong!)

I worked in a college in Scotland. The following staff members would have taken an interest in the situation: Student Advisor (there to support students with their personal, financial and health issues), Learning Support Officer (support with learning and health/disabilities), Course Tutor (lecturer from your own teaching department) and the Health and Safety Officer. You would also have the option to escalate your issue to Curriculum Managers, Heads of Department and Vice Principals. You would also have support from fellow students - class rep and the chair of the students' association.

Find out who holds equivalent positions in your college and copy them all into an e-mail. If this fails, ask what there is in terms of a complaints procedure. They are taking far too long to resolve this and it may impact on your studies.

Good luck - you deserve to be treated much better than this.