Every child
has the right to a full education, but some pupils may need additional help to
access the education they need. Disabilities take many forms, from special
educational needs to pupils using a wheelchair, but it’s vital that schools
take steps to be as inclusive as possible.
There are
around 800,000 disabled children under the age of 16 living in the UK,
according to the Disabled Living Foundation, and this equates to around one
child in every 20. These statistics mean that each school is likely to have at
least one child with a disability in every class, so accessibility is key.
Research by
Mencap has found that the majority of pupils with disabilities attend
mainstream schools and the 2010 Equality Act states that schools mustn't
discriminate against any pupils because of their disability. There are plenty
of ways for schools to improve their disabled access, from installing disabled
access lifts to utilising assistive technology, so read on to find out more.
Install disabled access lifts
Students who
use wheelchairs may find it difficult to access certain classrooms (or even the
school building itself) without assistance, but disabled access lifts can
drastically improve this. Vertical or inclined platform wheelchair lifts are
one of the most common options and they can be installed both inside and
outside a building.
Platform
lifts are a popular option in areas where there isn’t room for a wheelchair
ramp and they allow wheelchair users to move easily and safely from floor to
floor. Platform lifts can also provide access to the school building if there
are outdoor steps to navigate and no room for a ramp.
Indoor and outdoor ramps
Wheelchair
ramps are one of the most cost effective ways to improve disabled access to
your school and they come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Ramps can be
installed on a permanent or temporary basis both indoors and outdoors, and they
also improve access for anyone elderly or with mobility issues.
Ramps should
include handrails and a non-slip surface for extra safety and care should be
taken to ensure that the gradient isn’t too steep. Ideally, ramps should be
placed at either end of a corridor or building for ease of access, or install a
platform lift in areas where there isn’t room for a ramp.
Automatic door systems
Automatic
sliding doors or power assisted swing doors offer easily accessible entrances
for your school buildings. Installation also ensures that your school meets the
requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. Automatic door systems can
be installed at internal or external openings and they come in a range of
flexible designs.
Automatic
doors also offer additional security for your school and entry can be
controlled by staff inside the building. Manual doors can be very difficult to
navigate for pupils in a wheelchair, or anyone using crutches, so improve
accessibility by installing automatic doors at key entrances.
Assistive technology
Assistive
technology can significantly improve learning accessibility for pupils with
disabilities and your school may be eligible for funding in some cases. There
are many types of assistive technology available, including touch-screen
computers, tablets, speech to text software, braille translation software and
listening aids.
Funding and
grants vary throughout the UK but your school may be able to get some financial
help towards the cost of equipment. You can find out more about the types of
grants available for assistive technology here.
Assistive technology is particularly
useful for children with learning disabilities or conditions such as visual
impairment and it doesn’t have to be hi-tech or expensive either. It could be
something as simple as a pencil grip to help children with mobility issues, or
worksheets in braille or a larger font.
Support for visual impairments
Not all
disabilities are immediately obvious and visual impairments can make learning
much more challenging if the right adaptations aren’t in place. As mentioned
above, worksheets in braille or large print can make life much easier for pupils
with visual impairment, or you could provide information in an audio format.
Improvements
in lighting can also significantly help visually impaired pupils. Consider
swapping overhead fluorescent bulbs for LED lights; these bulbs give off a much
stronger, clearer light and they’re more environmentally friendly too. Light
filters can also work wonders; they remove the glare from overhead lighting and
convert it into full spectrum light. This helps to reduce eye strain for all
pupils and improves visual clarity for those with milder visual impairments.
Disabled access bathrooms
Disabled
bathroom facilities are essential if you’re looking to make your school more
inclusive; ideally there should be at least one disabled bathroom per building
or floor. Bathrooms that are spacious enough can be easily modified to make
them more accessible for those in a wheelchair or with other mobility issues.
Add grab
rails around the lavatory and at other key points to help pupils navigate the
space. You may also need to adjust the sink to move it lower down, or add a
second sink that can be used by those in a wheelchair.
Support for learning disabilities
Accessibility
for pupils with learning disabilities is just as important as for those with
physical disabilities. Learning disabilities vary greatly in severity, but they
can have a significant impact on a student’s ability to concentrate and learn.
Common types of learning disability include dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD, but
it’s important to consider the individual needs of each pupil.
There are
many different ways to make school more accessible for those with learning
difficulties, including:
●Offering information in different
formats. Some pupils find it easier to learn using audio, pictures or by giving
verbal answers instead of writing.
●Designated quiet spaces. Some pupils
find it difficult to work in a busy, noisy classroom so offer a quiet space
where there’s less background noise and distractions.
●Check in regularly. Talk to students
regularly to ask what they need or if there’s anything which might help. This
might be something as simple as moving seats so that they’re closer to the
whiteboard.
Classroom adaptations
It’s
important to think about how you adapt classrooms in your school, as well as
the general building itself. For example, many doorways are simply not wide
enough to accommodate a wheelchair, so consider widening doorways in some
classrooms on the ground floor.
It’s also a
good idea to invest in some height adjustable desks to make learning more
comfortable for those in a wheelchair. As mentioned above, teachers should also
make sure that they have information available in different formats, e.g
braille or audio recordings. You may also need to adjust the seating plan to
accommodate pupils with special needs, so that they can sit nearer to the front
of the classroom or close to the door.
Disabled Access Lifts in Scotland - From the
Experts at ADL Lift Services
If you’re in
need of reliable disabled access lifts
for your school in Scotland, get in
touch with the team at ADL Lift Services. We pride ourselves on finding
solutions on a case by case basis to ensure that our customers get the exact
requirements they need. All of our lifts comply with the Disability
Discrimination Act for your peace of mind and we offer a variety of different
types of lift, including inclined platform lifts, stairlifts and vertical
platform lifts.
As well as installation, we also offer full
maintenance services to ensure you have the access you need at all times. We’d
love to discuss your requirements with you, so give us a call today to speak to
a friendly member of the team or
contact
us via our website.
