Disability Working Group
Satellite Group 3 Meeting Note 30 September 2005
Group 3 - communication; consultation; education and training; citizenship; disability equality training; public attitudes.
Attendance:
Christopher Crockett, Inclusion Scotland (Chair)
Karen Martin, Scottish Executive: Civic Participation Policy
Euan Page, Disability Rights Commission
Sheila Williams, Capability Scotland
Stuart Aitken, Sense Scotland
Kim Hartley, Communication Impairment Action Group
Lilian Lawson, Scottish Council on Deafness
Andy Groves, Scottish Accessible Information Forum
Graeme Bryce, Scottish Executive: Equality Unit
Apologies received from:
Lionel Long, Update
Claire Keggie, Scottish Executive: Student Inclusion and Access
Vikki Milne, Scottish Executive: Civic Participation Research
Kate Wallace, SAMH
Margaret Hurcombe, Scottish Accessible Information Forum
Sandra Manning, Scottish Executive: Additional Support Needs
Introduction
1. Christopher welcomed the group members to the fourth of the satellite group 3 meetings. Members introduced themselves. The focus for the meeting was education and training. The group would consider and discuss potential recommendations drawn from the papers discussed at the previous meeting.
Note of the last meeting
2. Para 1 of the note would be amended to make clear that the Communication Impairment Action Group, being represented on satellite group 3 by Kim Hartley, was not recently established but had existed for some time. Otherwise the note was agreed.
Matters arising
3. The note of the previous meeting had included an action point on research on personal communication passports. Stuart flagged that research was already being conducted on this and so the action point did not need to be taken any further.
Discussion of potential recommendations
Disability equality training
- Map current provision of disability equality training
- Assess current and future need for disability equality training
- Research different approaches to disability equality training and their impact
- Develop standards and/or accreditation for disability equality training
Discussion
4. Sheila commented that Glasgow University had been commissioned by the Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee to undertake a research project on disability equality training in Scotland. She thought that this was looking at standards and quality of DET but could not confirm this. There was agreement that there was potential for wide ranging research on DET, considering issues such as the content of training, standards, and impact.
5. Stuart commented on the importance of DET in schools and in particular in initial teacher education. He noted that training materials produced through the Additional Support for Learning Act were good and that they picked up on attitudes.
6. Lilian suggested that funding could be used to encourage disabled people to become disability equality trainers themselves.
7. Finally, Euan noted that DET alone wouldn't be enough - a cultural shift was needed in order to obtain equality and inclusion for disabled people. DET was a useful tool on the way.
8. While the group agreed on the importance of disability equality training its recommendations in this area could only be provisional until further information was obtained on the Scottish Parliament's activity. It was agreed therefore that for the next meeting the Executive would obtain information about what the Parliament was doing and the satellite group would return to consider its DET recommendations in the light of this.
Draft recommendations on Disability Equality Training
- Map current provision of disability equality training
- Assess current and future need for disability equality training
- Research different approaches to disability equality training and their impact
- Develop standards and/or accreditation for disability equality training
- Encourage disabled people to become disability equality trainers
- Initial teacher education should incorporate disability equality training, including communication impairment issues
Other education and training issues
- Linking to activities to promote disability awareness amongst staff in educational institutions
- Transitional arrangements
- Engagement with audit and inspection bodies
- Involving disabled people
Discussion
9. After discussing disability equality training, the group then considered wider education and training issues. Draft action points here had been drawn from discussion at earlier meetings, in particular on 23 May and 23 June.
10. Kim highlighted that the provision of communication aids and equipment could be a problem post school, since equipment provided in school might be lost when a child leaves school. Lilian commented that audiology services were good for children but post school there were often significant delays. It was agreed all disabled people should receive appropriate and adequate support throughout school, further and higher education.
11. Stuart mentioned the Executive's current consultation which was looking at support for students and young people with complex needs. The consultation was due to end at the end of October and the Executive would circulate it to satellite group members.
12. Stuart also commented that he was aware that some FE colleges might be using health and safety regulations as a way of avoiding making reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Euan agreed to provide information about the interface between the Disability Discrimination Act and health and safety legislation.
13. The group considered that HMIE had a significant role in helping to promote inclusive educational environments and that working with them to highlight good practice or to develop indicators of good practice would be helpful.
14. Involving and engaging disabled students and young people was also considered essential. Kim suggested that in the FE/HE sector consultation panels of students might be a good way of doing this.
15. Lilian was keen to look at encouraging disabled people to become teachers and this was supported by the group.
Draft Recommendations
- That HMIE works in partnership with disabled people and disability organisations to develop indicators of good practice
- All disabled people should receive appropriate and adequate support throughout school, further and higher education
- Further and higher education institutions should involve disabled people through student consultation panels
- Disabled people should be encouraged to become teachers
Review of recommendations on consultation and communication
16. The group worked through the list of draft recommendations on consultation and communication and made a number of amendments as follows:
- That the Scottish Executive should develop practical guidance on inclusive communication and consultation
- This recommendation needed to be supplemented with reference to the Executive establishing a website of good practice on consultation and developing inclusive communication environments.
- That the Scottish Executive should promote the use of the SAIF standards.
- This was amended to be clear that the Executive should implement the standards as well as promote them.
- That the Fair for All project should ensure that its work on the access needs of disabled people in relation to the NHS includes communication impairments of all types - No change.
- That Scottish Executive media work should be accessible.
- This was amended to include public authorities and to explicitly state 'comprehensively communication accessible'.
- That guidance on involving disabled people should be considered in the context of the new public sector duty to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people - No change
- That the Scottish Executive commissions research into personal communication passports including their current usage and value.
- This was removed as research is already being undertaken on this.
- That the Scottish Executive should support a symposium to consider the issues around copyright exemption. -No change
Engaging disabled people
17. The group then discussed a paper on engaging disabled people. The paper reminded the satellite group that part of the remit of the disability working group as a whole was "to develop proposals on longer term mechanisms for engagement with the disability sector." Developments at UK level had affected the context for this, with the UK Government's intention to establish a National Forum of disability organisations at UK level.
18. Satellite Group 3 considered that there was a need for a separate Scottish structure to engage with the Scottish Executive. However, linkage between the Scottish structure and the UK National Forum needed to be considered. Satellite Group 3 agreed that the disability working group should outline a process to develop a mechanism rather than try to draft a proposal for a mechanism.
Planning future meetings
19. At its next meeting the group would focus on attitudes and citizenship. The next meeting would also allow time to go back over the draft recommendations from today's meeting on education and training and refine them or add to them as necessary. A list of the draft recommendations on education and training is at Annex A. A list of the revised recommendations on consultation and communication is at Annex B.
Date of next meeting
20. The next meeting of Disability Working Group Satellite Group 3 is on 28 October, from 13.00-16.00, in Victoria Quay.
Equality Unit, October 2005
Action points
- Equality Unit to find out more about the Parliament's research on disability equality training
- Equality Unit to circulate 'Partnership Matters'
- Euan to provide information about interface between DDA and health and safety legislation
Annex A
Disability Working Group - Satellite Group 3
Draft recommendations on education and training
- That research should be undertaken on disability equality training, including mapping current provision, investigating different approaches and their impact, and considering current and future need
- That standards and/or accreditation for disability equality training should be developed
- That disabled people should be encouraged to become disability equality trainers
- That initial teacher education should incorporate disability equality training, including communication impairment issues
- That HMIE should work in partnership with disabled people and disability organisations to develop indicators of good practice
- That all disabled people should receive appropriate and adequate support throughout school, further and higher education
- That further and higher education institutions should involve disabled people through student consultation panels
- That disabled people should be encouraged to become teachers Annex B
Disability Working Group - Satellite Group 3
Revised recommendations on consultation and communication
- That the Scottish Executive should develop practical guidance on inclusive communication and consultation; establish a website of good practice on consultation; and develop and promote inclusive communication environments
- That the Scottish Executive should implement and promote the SAIF standards
- That the 'Fair for All' project should ensure that its work on the access needs of disabled people in relation to the NHS includes communication impairments of all types
- That Scottish Executive and public authority media work should be comprehensively communication accessible
- That guidance on involving disabled people should be considered in the context of the new public sector duty to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.
- That the Scottish Executive should support a symposium to consider the issues around copyright exemption.