Disability and Discrimination

[Oakmaiden]

Genuine question here, because maybe I am completely wrong.

If you were part of a team running activities for young children (think Brownies/Cubs etc) and one of the leadership team developed a disability which meant she couldn't walk far or take part in active activities, would the correct response be to:

a, not schedule any active activities/hikes etc for the group. This would be pretty much ever.
b. Expect the leader, as an adult, to allow those activities to go ahead but to sit them out (providing, of course, adult/child ratios were maintained)?

Because, in honesty, I have always been of the opinion it isn't about US as leaders, it is about the children and the experiences they are being offered. But I can't help wondering what someone with more knowledge of disability discrimination would say....

I'm sure there is some sort of brownie/club code and grievance procedure - push it up to the Area Head Brownie or whatever they are called.

You'd need to investigate if there were adjustments that could be made so they could take part. If there are not, activity should go ahead without them IMO.

But that would make it all formal, and I don't want to do that....

B. Under the Equality Act you're rwquired to provide adaptations where possible (an employer is, for an employee, I'm hoingvto assume a volunteer has the same rights), but the nature of the work done (activities for girls) does not need to change. Say my job is in a supermarket, and I have an injury and cannot stack shelves. The supermarket doesn't then go 'OK, customers can pick their goods off the floor'. Her job can change, but Brownies d shouldn't.

Do they not have a fit for role criteria? That's not to say for a second that they shouldn't be allowed to volunteer because of their disability but the organisation should be aware of it and make sure that support etc is place to ensure the young people don't miss out.

B and I say that as I wheelchair user only for the last 7 years.

They are required to make a 'reasonable adjustment'. Is it reasonable for everyone to miss out on some of the core activities because 1 person is unable to do them? As a brownie leader with a disability I'd say no it isn't. Take part in the things you can do and happily wave off the kids as they go to do the things you can't.

I would think it's a reasonable adjustment to have more varied activities to ensure inclusiveness. Not all the activities but certainly a good proportion of them.

I think a balance is best and make adjustments so she can be included as much as possible. I have a disability which has similar limitations and am a bit worried about work away days for example - I've considered hiring a mobility scooter or wheelchair or I'd look to walk part of the way and get a lift back. I've (sometimes gladly) missed out on youth group events as they are too active or involved sleeping on the floor. If you make it clear you are open to some adjustments she may be more willing to accept a compromise- life with disability is a compromise in all aspects sadly.

We don't do mega active things all the time. In the past term we have done 2 such activities. One was a nature ramble (about half a mile or so on a tarmaced path through a wood - with lots of stops for insect hunting etc). At the end she complained how much she had struggled. We said that perhaps when we did activities like this she could choose to sit at our meeting point (we all came back to that point and the children played in the park whole we chatted) but she said that it wasn't "what a leader should do - as a leader she should be with the girls". The other was a 2 hour hike as part of a weekend away - she did stay behind but afterwards complained that we had "excluded and isolated" her by suggesting she should consider not coming. We didn't insist - but we suggested that it was a possibility and that it had to be her decision about whether she could manage to come with us or not.

And I can't decide whether we were unfair to plan the activities (which, to be fair, she was aware were planned and had not raised any concerns about) or whether she is going to have to get her head around the fact that sometimes she is better off sitting some things out.

What does the disabled person think? Chances are they'll want the activities to go ahead, and they'll join in where they can. They should be the first person you speak to about this.

Regarding the law, cancelling the activities would go beyond what is a reasonable adjustment. If you think about a teacher with a disability, their class would still do all the activities they normally would, and the need for additional supervision would be assessed according to how able the teacher is (they may not be counted in the number of adults required for H&S). The same principle would apply here.

I removed my daughter from her Brownies because it was so incredibly sedentary. If she wants to sit about she can do it at home for free.

C. Find ways in which the now disabled leader can play an active role in making those activities a success, albeit not as a fully active participant in the activity itself.

For instance, if there is a hike, can that leader be in charge of the reception station for the finishing girls, meeting them, congratulating them, giving refreshments, etc.

If there is an activity day, can you make it a wheelchair accessible one? Could the leader take the photos of the event?

I have to say, that as my DD goes to a special school, a fair proportion of her friends have some sort of mobility needs, and it doesn't stop them being included in all outdoor adventure activities, whether they need wheelchairs, walkers, or hands for support.

Hmm.... well, was a two-hour hike necessary for 7 to 10 year olds? Would a one-hour stroll have done just as well? Knowing most girls of that age, an hour's walk broken up by finding a route that takes you through a play park with benches so the adults can sit down for a 15 minute rest-break would seem like a fantastic walk.

So even if you'd done a walk with 15 minutes' walking, 15 minutes at the park, 15 minutes' walking, stop and look at nature for 10 minutes, double back for 15 minutes' walking, 15 minutes at the park, 15 minutes' walking, that's a 45 minutes walk, half-an-hour at the park, 10 minutes looking at nature and an included leader, all wrapped up in under 90 minutes.

Yeah - it wasn't 2 hours of solid walking. I think we walked 2 miles in total. Lots of mooching - but rough ground...

And the Brownies had asked to do a Survival Skills and Outdoors Holiday - a hike is one of the activities they requested.

Is she struggling to come to terms with her new limitations possibly?

I'm a beaver leader with inflammatory arthritis soon to move up to cubs with ds. I'm delighted to have a week off /be the at home contact/ do the admin /snacks for the activities that are too much for me. Face it we're doing it for the kids! It really is super frustrating to just not be able to do stuff anymore though and maybe this attitude is more about them adjusting to what sound like fairly new circumstances? My arthritis getting worse was a fairly good point to quit this role that was so much more work than I ever anticipated but I've surprised myself how reluctant I've been to bow out.

I think that is a big part of it, sickof. I just wanted some opinions to see what others thought would be a good way forward. I have actually just contacted the District Commissioner (Chief Brownie?) to ask if there is a Disability Advisor, and if so if it would be possible for us all to get together to plan a way forward. This isn't the only issue arising from co-leaders illness, but is the one I thought I might be wrong about...

Is it a big enough group you could split into two for activities like that? So Half do the walk and the other half prepare food or something for when they get back and then a few weeks/months later do it the opposite way around? That way she can still be part of it and everyone is getting to do the activities.

Not enough leaders for that, Sirzy, although otherwise a good idea. But it would mean splitting into a 2 and a 1 and I wouldn't be comfortable with that...

I think I'd put her on a checkpoint somewhere, or ask her to do support in the car or something.

She isn't helping herself by the sound of it :-(

I think the disabled person is being unreasonable, but it's likely that becoming disabled and slowly realising how much it's talking away from them is causing a huge struggle for them and a bit of unreasonable can be fairly expected. It sounds like you're being as sensitive as you can be though, and as far as I knew, hikes were a normal regular thing for most brownie/ Cub Scout groups. Of course they should still go ahead, it's just how you manage this situation that's the problem! Good luck, you leaders do a great thing, and I'm pretty sure you should be able to get some advice and suppport from higher up in the organisation.