School access - legal position

[KarenThirl]

Hi
Can anyone tell me (or provide a link) about schools' legal obligations in providing access for disabled parents attending events at their child's school? I have ME and although not severe enough to need a wheelchair or stick, it isn't possible for me to stand for more than ten to fifteen minutes. Our school is old and Victorian and access is poor - the hall where performances are held is on one level and parents have to queue for up to an hour to get a seat near the front so that they can see their child. Next week is my son's Harvest Assembly and he's nervous (he has Asperger's Syndrome) and wants me to be at the front so he can see me. The teacher who organises the event for KS1 pulled me aside last year for getting in early to secure a seat (even though I'd had my request approved by his class teacher), and now I have to face her again today to ask again. So far she's told J's class teacher that I can go in early if I'm prepared to help get the children dressed for the play, which obviously I'm not capable of without making myself more ill. I'd like to know in advance the legal position about the amount of access a school is obliged to provide to a disabled parents, and whether it covers performances, assemblies etc.

Any advice or legal knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Non educational activities provided by schools are covered by the DDA
IMHO as a facilities mgr it is entirely reasonable for you to require access early given your condition.
Given that this person has been reasonably unhelpfull, I would write a nice letter to the head mentioning the your dificulties and how you would like to resovle the issue as amicably and as low key as possible, afterall making a complaint about the school and their noncomplience with DDA would only make for lots of fuss and stress all round and you all want to avoid that.....etc

Here is the section that I think is relevant

"Since October 1999, service providers have had to consider making reasonable adjustments to the way they deliver their services so that disabled people can use them. Making ?reasonable adjustments? means:

changing any practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service (eg waiving a no dogs policy for blind customers accompanied by their guide dog)"

Just my 2p

Many thanks for that carlk. I noticed the introduction to that section which said: "Non-educational activities provided by schools would also be included", so that would obviously include school performances and assemblies. I was aware that access had to be made possible on educational matters but wasn't sure what the provision should be on 'extras'. Ta, that gives me some ammo to go in with.

And here's what happened...

Well, you wouldn't believe the arrogance of the woman. She pulled short of calling me a liar but used comments such as "What, you can't manage to come in ten minutes early and put on a few children's masks?" and "We have other disabled parents helping out" (implying a 'one-size-fits-all' attitude to disability generally - they can do it so so can you), and literally shook her head at me when I tried to explain how hard things like that could be for me. I even pointed out the irony that the school links with a local homeless charity for the Harvest Assembly, presumably to demonstrate to the children the importance of considering people worse off than themselves, yet the school couldn't recognise the needs of a genuine disabled parent who wanted nothing more than to support her child in his school play. And her
reply? "Oh come on, surely you're not comparing yourself to a homeless person who has nothing?" So it came back to her notion of fairness, that all parents should queue regardless of circumstance. I argued that fairness should consider circumstance but in her arrogance she stuck to her opinion that her view of fairness was right and any other was wrong.

So I asked if the school had an access policy for disabled parents (having first researched the DDA website and aware that they have to - thank you Carlk), to which she replied that I have access to the school at any time I want. Now visibly sneering at me and continuing to shake her head at the self-pitying waste-of-space in front of her, she said that I could come in ten minutes early and get a seat if that was what I insisted. I told her that that wouldn't be necessary as long as I could guarantee a seat could be kept for me - all I wanted was somewhere to sit and I had no intention of disrupting proceedings. But no, she wants me in early, I think because she wants to make an exhibit of me.

So I guess in a way I won. I felt great when I came out of school, I'd taken on the dragon and beaten her but now that I've thought about it I feel a bit hollow. I'm really shocked and offended by her attitude towards disabled parents, the arrogance that she felt qualified to comment on my life and circumstances about which she knows nothing, the implied assumption that she understands my condition better than I do. Above all, the implication that I'm a bl**dy liar and using my non-existent 'disability' to queue-jump. I'm torn between seething rage, frustration and disappointment, AND personal insult.

The outcome is that I do get to support my son as he narrates his single line and of course I'm happy about that, but this whole episode has left a sour taste in my mouth.

That's bl**dy awful! I'd be tempted to write to the governors to ask them what the school policy is towards disabilities. Grrrr! The cheek of the woman.

I'm really shocked, KarenThirl. How very rude of her. No professional person should speak to anybody like that!

But well done to you for confronting her and standing up for yourself.

Karen, I think the treatment you have received is UTTERLY APPALLING. I am a disabled parent myself, and if I got this treatment I would be livid.

Definately write to the board of governors, CC it directly to the head, and explain that you feel the actions of this teacher were at best outright rude, and at worst against the spirit of the DDA.
Point out that although your disability may not be obvious to on-lookers, it is non-the-less a real condition, that it is important to you to support your son to the best of your ability, but occasionally you need a co-operation from school to do this.

Personally I'd be looking for an apology from the teacher concerned. I'm soooooooo angry on your behalf.

She doesnt understand your illness and remembers the skivers attitude of the press years ago. She is displaying herself to be uneducated and rude. Is this what she is teaching the children.

I agree you should complain to the board of governors and the head and point out that you are a parent and therefore do not have to give this teacher a doctors certificate about your private medical condition. No you are not comparing yourself to homeless people who have nothing, for all this women knows these people may also have a disabling medical condition as you do

Thanks for your support on this, people. I have drafted a letter over the weekend, addressed to the chair of board of govs with a copy to the Head. I've shown it to a few people (not connected with the school) who tell me I've kept it restrained and calm. Will let you know how I get on.

Thanks.