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Health and safety risk?

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  • February 16, 2012 at 11:51 pm #74266
    Health and safety risk?

    Hi
    Hoping for some advice regarding preschool, my son is due to attend a local preschool – the same one that his siblings attended and feeds into the school we hope he will go to. There has been a few issues around the accessibility of the toilets due to them being up 3 steps. My son uses a power chair and cannot do transfers independently. The preschool have been brilliant – applied for a grant (didnt get it) can use an accessible toilet but would have to go outside a few yards to access it or they are willing to lift him (he is very small for his age).
    He will also recieve 1:1 support.

    I was fine about all this until last week when I recieved a phone call from area senco??? (I think) who suggested that I will have to start considering other accessible preschools in the area as they will probably report that it would be a ‘health and safety risk’ for him to attend this one! getting into another good preschool now is going to be very difficult apart from the fact he needs to be with his peer group that he will go to school with as well as in close proximity to his siblings for sheer transport logistics if nothing else.
    My son has been called many things – but a health and safety risk is a new one! Can they do this?

    woodstock
    Participant
    Posts: 10
    Joined: 05/05/2011
    February 17, 2012 at 10:22 am #84619
    Re: Health and safety risk?

    Hi Woodstock!

    I cannot believe that an area SENCO would describe your child as a health and safety risk! That could come very close to constituting Disability Discrimination. I was hoping you may be able to elaborate as to why the school was denied the grant to make it accessible?

    According to sections 28D and 28E of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 LEAs and schools must have an accessibility plan which outlines how the school will meet three criteria’s one of which is ‘improve the physical environment’. It would be a very good idea to request both the schools and the LEAs accessibility plan to ascertain whether or not they are legally required to make the changes.

    We do have a free advocacy service here at the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and we would be happy to help you with this case if you need it! We have dealt with a number of similar cases.

    AdvocacyDave
    Participant
    Posts: 32
    Joined: 09/01/2012
    February 17, 2012 at 6:04 pm #84620
    Re: Health and safety risk?

    Sound alike they can’t be arsed with the hassle and blamining Heath and safety….what a cop out! I agree with David!

    Anr1976
    Participant
    Posts: 34
    Joined: 01/02/2012
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