School Parking - Is this fair?

[Powerless]

Just a quick one!

My 3yr old DD goes to a Pre-School within the grounds of an Infant & Primary School. I am disabled and have been told it's ok to use the Disabled Bay to park when picking DD up. Great!

She finishes at 3:20pm

Problem is, they close the gates at 3pm until 3:40pm, during which a coach reverses in (which they open the gates for, obvs) and this unfortunately, blocks us in!

The blocking in until 3:40 I'm not overly worried about. Plenty of play equipment for madam and it's no big deal. But having to be there by 2:55-ish before gates closed, then sit for 25 mins in my car before Nursery finishes is really getting to me.

Yes it's only 25 mins and yes there are worse problems in the world. However she's there 4 days a week so it's 1 hour & 40 minutes per week of wasted time. It also means that from setting off to getting home, it's an hour. Just for pick up. When we live less than a mile away.

I had a word with Reception today and the lady just told me it was tough luck! That if I want to use Disabled parking then that's what has to happen!

Do I complain further? Or just suck it up?

Please be nice, I'm not insisting on special treatment, I'm not insisting I'm right, I'm just asking your opinion on it....? Thanks

We had a similar situation at our school, in that there was one accessible space in the staff car park, and no parent parking available (street parking only). The Principal gave permission for parents with disabilities or who have children with disabilities to use that space, or to behind teachers cars in the car park during pick up time. One mother tried to get the other parents to complain because the road outside the school was constantly banked up and they would have to arrive 15-20 minutes early to get into the car park (due to poor road planning and traffic around the school - school is at the end of a one way street) and it would take 10-15 minutes to get away from the school. The Principal, while sympathetic, would not entertain it, because she said she has no control over the road, and every other driver was also caught up in the banked up traffic.

Thank you chocolate

I can't find a decent link as I'm off to bed, I'll look properly tomorrow but it's all in the DDA.

There's a link from NI that basically explains everything though

www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/parents-disabilities-and-school

I really would email the head. Sometimes you just have to speak to the right person who no doubt would be horrified if s/he knew of your situation.

The DDA has been repealed. You probably mean the Equality Act 2010, Professor.

I cannot find anything in the Equality Act which is to do with accessibility for parents, only staff & pupils.

professors link relates to Northern Ireland.

Apart from legalities / rights, I still think that a senior member of staff should be contacted. I am certain that they would support you.

Is it the sort of situation where they could open the gate and give you access for say ten minutes without interfering with the bus but choose not to or would opening the gate affect the bus and maybe the safety of children leaving the school? In the first circumstance where they could let you in for 10 minutes and you could safely drive in and drive out without affecting the bus then they are being unreasonable. If to allow you to do that would impact on the bus and would mean that you have to do a complicated manoeuvre then that is a greyer area and would require a further risk assessment. A different reasonable adjustment might be to keep your child longer for free so you can collect slightly later. I have a similar situation although it is a child who is unable to walk far and although it might mean they are picked up later and so disadvantaged there are hundreds of children on the buses and that cannot be changed.

I cannot find anything in the Equality Act which is to do with accessibility for parents, only staff & pupils.

I would argue that the pupil can't access the school without the parent therefore the school must making provision to assist the parent - not make the parent spend hours sitting in a car!

I also wonder if the child is in anyway, however minor, classed as a Young Carer. I think schools have an obligation to assist young carers to avoid caring affecting their education.

I’d be concerned if a 3-yr-old was considered a carer.

No, not in a wheelchair.

Sorry, my mistake. Goes to show how tired I was Yes the Equality Act. You'd think I'd have remembered since I've been writing about it since 2008

Alexander You would need to read through the statutory code of practice for public sector. There are additional duties placed on the public sector, including schools. It is a very long document, but you can see in this link that it definitely includes parents i.warwickshire.gov.uk/content/disability-equality-statutory-duties-schools/disability-equality-statutory-duties-schools

@AvoidingDM I BEG your pardon?!?!?

NO I am not in a wheelchair and even if I were, my 3yr old is and would NOT be a sodding carer for me?! How very dare you????????? I look after her until I'm nearly collapsing. She is very very well cared for. How fucking dare you?

I am sat here in floods of tears after @AvoidingDM 's comment. What a fucking leap to make.

"She's a single parent with a disability, therefore her 3yr old must be doing jobs around the house?"

I have MS not a terminal illness!!! My 3yr old is Autistic and is partially non-verbal so she has no clue that much is wrong with Mummy - just that she can't walk as fast as everyone else!

I manage PERFECTLY well to look after my child Thankyou very much! After 16 years of this condition, I have learnt ways to manage and to compartmentalise my tasks.

How very dare ANYONE assume that a disabled mother isn't a mother at all.

What a bitch. I expect she is of the older generation........ They all seem to jump to huge stereotypical conclusions

Sorry I didn't mean to cause offence!

Powerless - try not to worry about comments on Mumsnet. It's one of the most ableist places on the internet.

I am in a wheelchair and my DS has been doing chores since he was 5. Not because I can't, I have a husband but because children should be helping with age appropriate tasks. He's absolutely not a YC and has it has never, ever been suggested by Occ Therapy or school!

Some people don't realise disabled people are human and are capable of doing things that able people do

Sorry I didn't mean to cause offence

How could you not think your comment would be offensive. Ffs the OP has a blue badge at no time whatsoever has she ever said anything about her child doing chores. She's only 3 for heaven's sake.

What a fucking leap you've made

I'm so glad to see that post has been removed

You see, this is why I wish we could delete or at least switch off commenting on these threads. I got all the suggestions I needed very soon after posting it. I guess I should've hidden it then 🤦🏼‍♀️

Powerless I am so sorry about some of the comments you have had. I am lucky enough to be able-bodied myself, but believe with a passion that adjustments should be made wherever it is at all possible for people with disabilities. I do hope that the school is able to make some sort of compromise for you.

Thankyou Chocolate x Of which I am also a worshipper!! x