disabled parents and school admissions

[katjuska]

hello all
me and my husband are both disabled. My husband is blind registered and l am partly sighted. We are both freedom pass holders.
We have a 2 yrs old and live in an area where is almost impossible to get in primary school of your first 3 choices. That area would be East Sheen (richmond).
We were both wondering if us both being disabled have any impact on being accepted in nearest school? We are concerned since we hear some parents were allocated quite far to take their children to school.
Although public travel is free for us its not easy for us to travel with our toddler.

thx for any advice

katjuska I'm afraid I can't answer, but I quite understand your concerns. I think you should talk directly to your local education authority and possibly your health visitor to find out your options. Do you have contact with your visual impairment officer in Social Services? They should also be able to give you advice I think.

I'm sure there are other organisations I haven't remembered at the moment, but I'll keep thinking.

Good luck and enjoy your time with your DC now - mine have grown up too quickly!

Have just sent you a message - we've just gone down that route for primary applications.

Speak to the local authority about your concerns, it certainly made a difference for our blind friend (DC allocated 1st choice at end of road ) as he takes kids to school
I'm hoping it'll be the same for me (mobility probs) but don't know if it's just local policy

I was told by few disabled people that local authorities wont even bothered to tell you the truth. That happened to us when we were told by them that we do not qualify for freedom pass but in fact we both did.
Can't blame them though...no money, cuts everywhere...
So that's why I am looking for people with experience...

Hi I'm also registered blind. my daughter is partially sighted and my ease of getting her to school was put forward for getting her into the oversubscribed school that we wanted (but not London so a different level of competitiveness)

The visual imparement team helped me with what to say and wrote a letter supporting my application. Although most of this was detailing my daughters needs and not mine I was told my needs would also be taken into account.

I also lived in London for 4 years before I found out I could have a freedom pass! (although it was the social services dept when i moved down to london who helped me get DLA, my previous 3 authorities hadn't even mentioned it!) It's not easy finding out your entitlements when you can't read through the reams of beurocracy out there is it.

Action for blind people have been brilliant helping me out over the last couple of years. They have helped me get an access to work grant to get taxis to and from work (I live in the land public transport forgot now) They also helped me get DLA for dd and increase my level of award. I can now work and care for my dd pretty much independantly. The service has been cut back recently though and I have had to wait months for an appointment before the cuts, so my advice would be to ask them for help as soon as possible.

Tbh I don't think they volunteer the info but if you press hard enough for long enough somebody usually helps in the LA. The problem is knowing when and what to ask! That's where the charities can help.

Anybody know of transport help for blind parents outside London?

Not blind but in a wheelchair and im using that arguement to try and get dd into the nearest schools as next one is just over 2 miles and becuase in juniors that is classed as within walking disatnace

I am having to proove that it is infact unsafe for me and there for unsafe for her.
Also argued that is important in a local school as otherwise she not be able to attend clubs i struggle to see shows so would affet her emtionally and socially which are the key words

The local headmaster is very supportive and actually agrees that dd would be best at there school ( were less than 50 metres from it ) and he is willing if Lea agree to go one over for her