I am a school governor and sit on an inclusion recruitment group for Essex County Council and would be interested if there are other people with impairments interested in becoming school governers and what you feel could be a problem (ie access, P.A required etc). I would also like to know if anyone has an access / or other issue with there childrens school. As a parent with mobility and physical impairements and a child in primary school I understand some of the issues, like attending plays, open evening etc.

-- Anonymous, November 10, 2004

Answers

Interested to read your mail. I too am a parent governor at my daughter's primary school (she is in Year 3). I have a physical and mobility impairment.

The school have always been (even before my daughter started) extremely helpful and obliging in accommodating my access needs (parking within school grounds, etc).

However, with the DDA I think that generally when schools consider "acccess" they concentrate too much on access for pupils rather than parents needs, although this might be a real issue (for example, parents with visual impairments not receiving letters from school in an appropriate format).

You (and the other governors and school head!) may find it really interesting to read a booklet entitled "Disabled Parents and Schools - barriers to parental involvement in childrens education" which is available from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation:

http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/details.asp?pubID=614

You can download the booklet as a pdf from the site, but I think a printed copy which can live within the school staff room or head's office might be money well spent to highlight to them the issues for disabled parents.

Simone

-- Anonymous, November 11, 2004