Disabled children look forward to equal rights in education and an end to discrimination in schools

Campaigner Brian Lamb

The government is to increase spending for school access schemes in England from �30m this year to �100m by 2003-4.

For the first time there will be funding - �172m between 2002 and 2004 - to improve access for disabled students to colleges and universities.

And the Special Educational Needs and Disability Rights in Education Bill, delayed by pressure on the Parliamentary timetable, is promised "early in the next Parliamentary session".

It will put new duties on all education institutions in England, Wales and Scotland not to treat disabled pupils and students less favourably, "without justification", than their non-disabled peers.

• schools will be required to make "reasonable adjustments to their policies, practices and procedures"
• schools will have to provide "a reasonable alternative method of education" where pupils' physical features place them at a disadvantage
• education authorities, colleges and universities will also have to make "reasonable adjustments" to ensure full access for disabled students.

The Employment and Equal Opportunities Minister, Margaret Hodge, said education was one of the strongest forces for social inclusion.

Civil rights for all

"Yet disabled people can still be excluded from education simply because they have a disability," she said.

"This is another step towards comprehensive civil rights for disabled people. What we are doing is putting right a gaping hole in previous disability discrimination legislation - and not before time.

"Access to education at all levels is something many of us take for granted. We want to make sure these rights can be enjoyed by all students."

"This is brilliant news for disabled children," said Brian Lamb, chair of the Special Educational Consortium, a coalition of more than 300 individuals and organisations with an interest in special education.

"Disabled children look forward to equal rights in education and an end to discrimination in schools."

Question of attitude

The money can be used for such things as installing lifts and ramps, providing specialist library and information technology equipment and induction loops for hearing impaired students.

Special computer equipment can help [Photo: Priory School, Slough]

But the consortium is equally please by the proposed legislative changes.

Katie Caryer, a 16 year old with cerebral palsy who studies at a mainstream school in London, said: "A lot of people think inclusive schooling consists of two things - lifts and ramps. Wrong: that's integration.

"Inclusive education is where people have the right attitude towards disabled young people."

Liz Daone, head of campaigns at the charity Scope, said the announcements were "tremendous news" for disabled children who wanted to learn alongside their peers in mainstream education.

"It should mean that more schools become more accessible to many more children which will help build a more inclusive society," she added.

The National Union of Teachers campaigned alongside Scope to get the "Schools Access Initiative" money in the first place.

Its general secretary, Doug McAvoy, said the new money was "a very welcome endorsement" by the government of the aim of ensuring that children with physical and sensory disabilities could access mainstream education.