Funding for new research into school accessibility plans

ALLFIE, the Alliance for Inclusive Education, has been awarded £39,990 as part of a £5 million National Lottery funded research programme into independent living for Disabled people.

The Equality Act 2010 obliges schools and other education providers to create accessibility plans, showing how they are working with Disabled learners and their families to make both the school environment and the curriculum inclusive and accessible.

The ALLFIE project ‘Reasonable adjustments and their effectiveness in education and training post-Equality Act 2010’ will explore how effective the plans are in removing barriers to participation in mainstream education. It will engage with Disabled learners, families and professionals.

The project has been awarded funding from the DRILL (Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning) programme, a five year scheme launched in 2015 led by Disabled people and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, the UK’s largest funder of community activity.

Managed by ALLFIE the project will be led by Disabled people, working alongside academics and policy makers.

Navin Kikabhai, Chairperson of ALLFIE, said: “It is great news that ALLFIE has been awarded DRILL funding to carry out this exciting project. As a Disabled-led organisation, we are keen to explore the gulf between theory and practice, and to shift the agenda forward and highlight the often forgotten link between independent living and inclusive education. It is unacceptable that education providers have had since 2001 to make reasonable adjustments, and that there is little difference in educational segregation pre- and post-Equality Act 2010. There is important equality work to be done with respect to fulfilling the civil rights of Disabled people, and it will begin with Disabled people’s organisations like ALLFIE pushing for that change.”

Evan Odell, DRILL programme officer at Disability Rights UK said: “We’re delighted to be funding this project, run by and for disabled people. The results will help support disabled people to live more independently, and be part of the communities they live in.”

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For further media enquiries:

ALLFIE: Jess Cahill jess.cahill@allfie.org.uk 020 7737 6030

DRILL: Ben Furner ben@furnercommunications.co.uk 07946 355795

Notes to editors:

ALLFIE: The Alliance for Inclusive Education campaigns for the right of all Disabled learners (including those labelled as having Special Educational Needs) to be in mainstream educational settings. ALLFIE believes lifelong inclusion and equality of opportunity for Disabled people is not possible without this. We are the only organisation led by Disabled people focused on campaigning and information-sharing on education, training and apprenticeship issues. https://www.allfie.org.uk/audiences/press-policy/

DRILL: Launched in 2015, the DRILL programme is fully funded by the Big Lottery Fund and delivered by Disability Rights UK, Disability Action Northern Ireland, Inclusion Scotland and Disability Wales. DRILL is funding more than 30 research and pilot projects over a 5 year period, all led by disabled people.

Each country has a National Advisory Group, including disabled people, academics and policy makers, who provide advice, scrutinise research proposals, make recommendations and help promote and disseminate the findings.  A Central Research Committee, made up of disabled people, academics and policy influencers from across the UK makes the final decision on which research proposals receive funding.

Big Lottery Fund uses money raised by National Lottery players to help communities achieve their ambitions. From small, local projects to UK-wide initiatives, its funding brings people together to make a difference to their health, wellbeing and environment. Since June 2004 it has awarded £8.5 billion to projects that improve the lives of millions of people. http://www.drilluk.org.uk/