Who pays for disabled adaptations in an MLD school?

[donkeyderby]

A group I am involved in has been offered space and facilities to run a club in an MLD school, however it is not wheelchair accessible (one flight of stairs and no disabled toilets).

This school has some children with physical disabilities, so I am surprised something hasn't been done about access.

The headteacher said she wants adaptations made but the council won't pay for it, so they don't get done.

Should it be the council who pays or should it be from the school's own budget?

Schools usually have a budget for accessibility, as part of their maintenance and development budget. I thought all schools HAVE to be accessible whether they are for SN or mainstream, because visitors or teachers might have disabilities.

Surely the LEA pays for this?

I took my 3 to half term play thing at diff school, ramp to front door, then
flight of steps to rest of school!!!!!! Dd2 drove w/ch to emergency exit round back : STEP!!!!!
Apparently the ramp to lobby means they meet accessibility criteria!

I think like LGoodLife says they only have to have a ramp into the main entrance. I don't really see how they can get round it if the school is built on more than floor. I don't know of many schools with lifts in.

This is a school with only two levels access apart from one wide set of about 7 stairs. They have been told it is unsuitable for a chair lift, which would seem the cheap and obvious option, but I have no idea why. I am sure there is the potential to easily adapt the place as it is a relatively modern building, not listed and only this one set of stairs and no disabled loo.

It is really a matter of finding out who pays. If it's the LA then we can get on their case, but if it's the school (as I suspect) and they are refusing to pay, we would be biting the hand that feeds by complaining.

I don't agree that school should get away with not paying for adaptations- that is like saying its okay to exclude the kid in the w/ch, we get enough of that in the world as it is! I know I've been awkward enough with our mainstream school to the point where I've been invited to discuss "my Concerns" with the Chair of governors and Head. I've always tried to be as polite and helpful yet persistent and so far we get our way mostly with a bit of battling. Time to write to that school where the half term bash was on.......

Some schools are very difficult to adapt though: I've seen a couple of Victorian buildings that basically need razing to the ground to become wheelchair adaptable. Which yes, it can be done, but it's going to take a few years to build a new school, so it won't be ready instantly.

In that case it is a question of whether the timetable can be adapted so the disabled child's set are always taught in an accessible part of the building or the child needs to attend another school.

They are currently rebuilding one of our secondary schools and it will follow rules on accessibility once it is done. But it is estimated to take a couple of years- so was no good to dd when she applied for secondary last year.

In the present instance, it sounds like something that could be done fairly cheaply. Some headteachers are simply pigheaded. Dd's head kicked up a massive fuss because I suggested a cheap wooden ramp up to the entrance door. Ramp is now in place. Can't have cost them much.