Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Accessible schools - echoing Lauredhel

Lauredhel wrote this piece on accessibility in public schools. Read it, because she's right.

At our school today I watched the awkward maneuvers of a child and carer trying to get the kid and his chair up steps and through a too narrow gate. It's an old school, there's no doubt it would take a bit of creative thinking to make it accessible without making a mess of it, but I think that kid alone is worth that creative thinking and some well spent dollars. Of course, he isn't the first and he won't be the last. We either fix the problem, or we're saying that kids, their carers, volunteers and teachers with disabilities don't deserve equal access. We're saying that there's no problem with them being excluded, or having their independence reduced because we can't be bothered thinking laterally and spending the time and money on making the places accessible.

We need to make some noise about this, and I'm reproducing Lauredhel's list of people and places to direct your shouting at.

Find a link to your state or territory parliament here:

http://australia.gov.au/topics/government-and-parliament/state-parliaments-and-legislative-assemblies

Find your local Greens member/senator/candidate here:

http://greens.org.au/meet-us

If you'd like to make some Federal noise too:

Find your federal electorate here:


http://apps.aec.gov.au/esearch/

Find your federal member here:

http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/mi-state.asp

Find your federal senator here:


http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the boost.

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  2. Well said Lauredhel.

    It's not the same but I bought a smaller pram to make sure I fit through the gate I use at school. That said I carry the baby as it's easier than using the pram.

    Schools could soon be coming into some money. It appears the government has realised that there is a difference in funding per child between public and private schools. I believe each school could get about $2000 per child.

    At my school we have been asked to put forward ideas on how the money should be spent ie more teachers, resources, building maintenance etc.

    Obviously areas that are inaccessible in my school and others could be addressed with this money.

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