Childcare/education
Sure Start settings
Grants & funding
Inclusion
Accessibility Planning Project Early Years
The Council for Disabled Children and the Special Educational Needs Joint Initiative on Training (SENJIT) at the University of London have worked with local authorities to examine approaches, tools and materials that would be helpful to others in adopting a planned approach to the inclusion of disabled young children in early years settings. Their report recognises and promotes the benefits of a strategic approach to improving access to activities and the curriculum as well as the physical environment.
The extension of local authority accessibility strategies to cover early years settings, though not a statutory requirement, is recommended in this report.
The report contains information and resources suitable for local authorities and individual settings, including childminders.
Download full report and training materials here:
- Accessibility Planning Project (Full Version)
- Training Presentation: DDA 1995 Duties (includes training notes - pdf format only)
(please e-mail if you would like the Training Presentation, with notes, on MS PowerPoint slides)
Download Individual Chapters (Chapter 1-5) here:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Summary of DDA 1995 duties for settings and local authorities; Objectives and
principles of the project; Summary of issues addressed and outcomes of the
project.
Chapter 2: Materials from partner authorities
Lambeth Childminders and the Disability Discrimination Act; Lambeth advice on
transition to mainstream settings; Blackburn with Darwen: development and pilot
of early years audit guidance; Norfolk guidance; Norfolk ‘postcard’
guidance.
Chapter 3: Training materials
Introduction, outline and 2hr 30 mins training session and activities; Early
years and the DDA – Training Presentation with notes.
Chapter 4: Resources
Summary of and extracts from selected materials, programmes and guidance to
help providers make their settings welcoming to young disabled children
including:
- Early Support programme
- Sure Start SEN Training pack
- Managing medicines in schools and early years settings
- Inclusive Childminding: working with disabled children
- All of Us – checklists for settings and local authorities
- Early Years & the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 – what providers need to know
- All Equal All Different
- The Dignity of Risk
- Promoting personal development in Foundation and Key Stage 1 – continence
- To change or not to change: the nappy question!
Chapter 5: The work with partner authorities
Summary of how the Council for Disabled Children and SENJIT worked with the
four partner authorities to support them in developing inclusive services.
- Inclusion
- Early support programme and Portage
- SENRPs Effective Practice
- Children’s Trusts Effective Practice
- Accessibility Planning Project Early Years
- Resources
