To be miffed my sons school has no disabled access for parents evening

[Lifealittleboulder]

So my sons just started a new secondary and tonight we have meet the tutor and a presentation from the head of year. I have mobility issues but I don’t use a wheel chair at the moment, I do at times use a stick.
I called ahead just to check access and was told the first talk is down two flights of stairs and the second is up a further 2. I asked about lifts and was just told “there isn’t one”

that appeared to be the end of the convo so I shocked left it there…aibu to expect disabled parents to be able to attend?

Doesn't sound the most inclusive of environments.

Im amazed they can get away with this. I'd raise it with the head.

Have you asked them if there are reasonable adjustments that can be made, like moving one meeting so that both are on the same level?

That is terrible!

I appreciate schools often don't have lifts and they may have limited space of the right size to do the talk but they should be considering alternative solutions such as using a different entrance/route, holding a second version in an accessible space, live streaming via zoom or recoding it.

I think you should get back in touch and ask them about accessibility arrangements

This is such a shame ☹️ I expected schools to be more accessible than that, but if this one is not then no one can change that overnight. But I would expect them to solve this problem - e.g. is there a different room they can move one or both meetings to, can you video link to the bigger talk and meet the tutor somewhere more convenient, etc. Can you call back or email and ask them how they can accommodate you? Put the ball in their court?
I hope they find a solution for you op.

What do disabled students do if there are no lifts surely that would be a bigger concern than parental access to the school?!

Welcome to secondary education where there's no room for disabled people to thrive!

Exactly what I was going to say ! Not just disabled but injuries/breakages etc ? Surely you can't keep a child off school for 6 weeks because of a plaster cast on an ankle ? That's ridiculous.

I would be emailing head of year, or head teacher. Tell them that the location is not accessible to you, and ask what they will be able to do to ensure you can hear it. Surely they cant just shrug and say "tough" 😳

YANBU. This sounds like they’re trying to make it hard, and sounds like their overall provision is all very inaccessible. Can you call back to talk it through more? Maybe the tutor session (presumably a smaller group) could be readily moved. Could you manage stairs with a lot more time if you got in earlier? (Obv you shouldn’t have to, just wondering what the immediate options are). You shouldnt have to but this is v much worth challenging the school on overall. It’s not ok.

How old is a school building that they have no lift or way for disabled people to get around.? Id have to get in touch with the head and complain. Im disabled and not had a child at school for about 14 years and their school made provision for children and adults who were less able.

This is from Northern Ireland so I don’t know how guidance would be where you are but it addresses all relevant points - the school should be making this sort of meeting accessible to you according to the NI guidance anyway. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/parents-disabilities-and-school

There should be uk, England, scotland, wales guidance too? Not sure where to look.

That's disgraceful and they should be offering some suggestions.

Our high school is semi-accessible - there's a lift but it doesn't go everywhere. If they have a disabled child they have to shift the timetable to accommodate.

We had a child in a wheelchair in the primary school and they just moved the classrooms around as there's no lift at all. So his class used a downstairs classroom and the music teacher and such went to them.

Surely they have some access in place for kids or teachers who need it. This really doesn't sound legal.

I remember using the lifts at my school, way back, was an absolute pain for certain rooms and involved a longer walk but it was possible.

Why does it have to be those specific rooms? It also sounds oddly impractical and a waste of time to have the parents traipsing between two locations so far apart.

That's appalling and surely it's illegal? The school must be completely inaccessible for disabled pupils as well.

That’s really strange-surely there is a hall or similar on the ground floor? Older schools generally don’t have lifts, so they need to think carefully about rooming.

Most secondary schools are pretty inaccessible.

i was a secondary teacher and I had an accident that meant I used a wheelchair. I was lucky my school did have a lift although it broke regularly.

when I started working with other schools as an advisory teacher there were many that were simply inaccessible.

that’s why disabled students get to name schools - most secondaries simply cannot handle kids in wheelchairs.

Unless the school is very very old with zero updates then there will be a lift, but it’s not for “public” use. Only for disabled students and staff. So, if you just asked about a lift then the answer would be no. If you told them you were disabled then they would allow its use.

But that’s assuming it isn’t a very old building which hasn’t been given updates.

I’m actually really surprised to read that actually. In the council area that I’m in, they’ve been rebuilding all the high schools since the time I was in high school and as they’ve done that, they all are fully accessible with lifts (have been around a load of them for various band performances).

Yeah, of the 13 or so in my patch , one is a new build and it’s fully accessible.

a lot of the rest are not, they’re mostly pre-war and some are listed or part listed buildings.

I work in a local authority who didn’t buy in to the Building Schools for the Future project (because it cost billions). Our building is 60+ years old. Stairs everywhere, no lifts.

Now, under the Equality Act, the academy trust I work for only has to make reasonable adjustments- putting in lifts is not considered reasonable. However, it is very reasonable to consider more accessible rooms or video links to enable disabled parents to attend this kind of event.

They dont go to that school. Loads of old school buildings are inaccessible for disabled students and teachers.

Schools are old. They would need to be rebuilt. People dont want money spent on education.

Surprised that people are surprised at the state of schools. My school isn't wheelchair accessible so kids who use wheelchairs don't come to us.

If a kid breaks their leg, they can't get to my classroom and I have to send work for them to do in our inclusion base.

That said, we have had a ramp put in so that parents in wheelchairs can get to the hall we use for parents evenings and talks.

Double check with the school if the talks can be put on somewhere more accessible for you.

Our secondary have stuck with online parent meetings. I like the fact they are quick and easy and fot in with my work day. Downsides its like speed dating and sometimes you need more than 4 mins or whatever the time allowance