Blog
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SEND
SEND is an award winning Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Consultancy, based in England and Wales.
The key principles of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice are centred around ensuring that children and young people with SEND are supported to achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes. These principles include:
Inclusive Practice: The focus is on removing barriers to learning and participation in all aspects of school life.
Participation: Children, young people, and their parents should be involved in decision-making about their support.
Collaboration: There should be close cooperation between education, health, and social care services to provide high-quality support.
Support: The system should enable children, young people, and their parents to participate fully in decisions and help them achieve their potential.
Preparation for Adulthood: Support should help young people to prepare for adulthood, including independent living, employment, and further education.
Outcomes: There should be a greater focus on the outcomes that will make a real difference in the lives of children and young people with SEND.
These principles are designed to ensure that the SEND provision, respects the views, wishes, and feelings of the child or young person and their parents, and emphasizes the importance of them getting involved in the decision making process, as much as possible. The aim is to support them to achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, preparing them effectively for adulthood.They empower and advocate for parents, carers and professionals who support children and young people with SEND.
The legislation and guidance for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in England are outlined in the SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years. This statutory code contains details of legal requirements that must be followed without exception, as well as statutory guidance that must be followed by law unless there’s a good reason not to. It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools, and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
The code is applicable to head teachers, principals, governing bodies, school and college staff, special educational needs (SEN) coordinators, early years providers, other education settings, local authorities, health, and social services staff. It was first published on 11 June 2014 and was last updated on 30 April 2020.
For parents and carers, there’s a guide that explains how the system that supports children and young people with SEND works, covering the law and guidance on which the system is based, places to go for help and further information, and details about changes to the system from 1 September 2014.
Additionally, the NHS England provides guidance to health and social care, education, and local authorities to ensure that children and young people with SEND are properly supported.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the official documents and resources provided by the UK government and NHS England.
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Using Braille as an Accessibility Tool
Did you know that braille can be used as an accessibility tool? I used to think that braille was only used to help the visually impaired.
World Braille Day: Raising Awareness for an Important Communication Tool
Since 2019, World Braille Day has been celebrated to create awareness of the importance of Braille; an access and communication tool that has played a key role in the realization of human rights for blind and partially sighted people.
Its roots trace back to the 19th century, when in 1829, its blind inventor; Louis Braille created a tactile alphabet in order to be able to read and write, and eventually gain access to education, the news of this increasingly important tool receiving its own international day of recognition could not have arrived at a more relevant moment, as in its third year of celebration (2021). World Braille Day was reinvented by the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
Braille is the system of raised dots used for reading and writing by people who are blind or severely visually impaired. It is read with the fingertips, although with practice, people with sight can read it with their eyes. Letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and numerous other symbols can be written with Braille. Although not technically its own language, Braille is a form of code and can be learned by just about anyone.
On World Braille Day 2022, Direct Access encouraged businesses to facilitate accessible formats as a means of communication as it is the right thing to do for customers and potentially valuable employees who might also be disabled people. Since our post-COVID world has forced much of society to utilise digital media and formats to facilitate communication, shopping, entertainment, and business; digital accessibility is now necessary to ensure the digital inclusion of all people. Braille is essential in the context of education, freedom of expression and opinion, as well as social inclusion, as reflected in article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Using the latest Index Embossers, Direct Access can produce Braille in A4 and A3 formats ranging from healthcare or financial letters to legal documents and company brochures. We also provide state-of-the-art tactile map boards that incorporate a multitude of formats including braille, BSL sign language video, and audio descriptions. They are bound according to preference and checked by our proof-readers. This is usually helpful for tactile learners.
For more information regarding their access and communication services feel free to contact them.
Tactile Braille Map Boards – Direct Access (directaccessgp.com)
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Accessibility Tools
Manningham House has introduced powerful Accessibility Tools to ensure an inclusive experience for everyone!
Colour ModesGrayscale for calm viewing.
High Contrast to make things pop.
Negative Contrast for cool clarity.
Enhanced ReadabilityLight Background for ease on the eyes.
Links Underline for clear navigation.
Readable Font for smooth reading.
And the best part?If you ever need to go back to default, just hit Reset!
Celebrate our launch with us and explore a website that adapts to YOUR needs. Let’s create a more accessible web together!
Navigate and send us feedback!I am impressed with Manningham House. Accessibility Tools help to enhance Access Consultancy!
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Hydrocephalus Week!
Memory, processing speed, concentration, planning and organising – these are just some of the things our ‘Hydrocephalus and Learning’ leaflet for children and young people with Hydrocephalus can help with and has tips and ideas to support them at school or learning.
Whether you’re living with or caring for someone with hydrocephalus, you’ll love our easy to use resource hub with our most popular information on a range of topics Shine members have told us are the most important.
Visit our Hydrocephalus Resource Hub to view and download useful resources we have added as part of Hydrocephalus Awareness Week.
Hydrocephalus Awareness Week is sponsored by Codman.
#LivingWithHydrocephalus
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‘Overthrow the Status Quo’
“I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.” —Niccolo Machiavelli
This quote is often interpreted as a call to action for change and innovation. Machiavelli was known for his political writings, which were often controversial and challenged the traditional norms of his time. He believed that change was necessary for progress and that those in power should be willing to take risks and make bold decisions to achieve their goals.
This quote can be interpreted in many ways, but it is often used to encourage people to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. It is a reminder that change is necessary for growth and that we should not be afraid to take risks and try new things. Whether it’s in politics, business, or our personal lives, we should always be looking for ways to improve and make a positive impact on the world around us.
Don’t fit in! It won’t address the challenges to success that you will face. Use new questions, people, information, and points-of-view to re-examine situation, goals, processes, and ways of thinking. It’s a new world, one in which the environment you are operating in is changing fast. If you want to keep up, overthrow the status quo.
To overthrow the status quo, try surrounding yourself with new people, the right people who can help you see through your biases. Build new relationships and get other people involved. Build yourself a team of subject matter experts and then learn to rely on their expert advice.
You can also overthrow the status quo by standing out and thinking outside of the box. It includes going beyond the norm. It involves challenging legislation and rules, especially the ones that discriminate against people with disabilities.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/belonging-versus-fitting-context-disability-inclusion-cassie-day/
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Fitting In vs Belonging
Disability, belonging, fitting in, and inclusion are all important concepts that relate to creating a more equitable and inclusive society. While they are related, they each have distinct meanings.
Disability refers to a physical or mental impairment that limits a person’s ability to perform certain tasks or activities. It is important to recognize that disability is not a personal failing, but rather a natural part of human diversity. This usually makes people ‘stand out’ by default.
Belonging, fitting in, and inclusion are all important aspects of creating a positive and productive work environment. According to a report by Bain & Company, building inclusive teams improves performance and is the right thing to do. It also pays off in recruitment, retention, and better teamwork. People describe what being included looks and feels like in remarkably similar ways. Helping everyone feel included is deceptively difficult, but organizations can navigate the complexities by marrying systemic change with more inclusive behaviours.
In summary:
- Fitting in means conforming to group norms.
- It can lead to suppressing one’s true identity to gain acceptance.
- People may prioritize conformity over individuality.
- Being included celebrates diversity and uniqueness.
- It promotes a sense of belonging based on shared values of respect and empathy.
- Allows individuals to feel valued for their authentic selves.
https://www.bain.com/insights/the-fabric-of-belonging-how-to-weave-an-inclusive-culture/
Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging | DEIB Culture (inclusiveleadership.com)
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Mobility Aids
Prescription glasses are just as much of a mobility aid as a wheelchair is.
Why is one so stigmatized and the other isn’t?
In my opinion, both prescription glasses and wheelchairs are mobility aids that help people with different types of disabilities.
However, the stigma attached to wheelchairs is more than that of glasses. According to an article on Nautilus, the stigma attached to wheelchairs is due to the cultural understanding of disability and the way it is portrayed in the media. Disability can be deemed as a cultural construct not a social construct.
It all started with a street art campaign by Sara Hendren and Brian Glenney, who redesigned the commonly accepted symbol for disability, called the International Symbol of Access, to change the way people perceive wheelchairs.
On the other hand, there is no stigma attached to wearing glasses, and people who wear eyeglasses do not feel any shame in walking out of the door.
However, studies show that there is plenty of stigma attached to hearing aids. It is important to note that the stigma attached to mobility aids is not only a result of cultural understanding but also a result of the lack of accessibility and inclusivity in our society. We need to work towards creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for people with disabilities.
https://nautil.us/why-are-wheelchairs-more-stigmatized-than-glasses-235841/
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Beautiful Blackpool Illuminations
On November 11th, 2023, I went on a day trip with the Community Through Inclusion 2000 Group to Blackpool Illuminations. There were three charities dedicated to disabilities that were booked to travel there in the month of November, including Holibreaks, which means it is high in demand.
It all started at 11:45am. We travelled together on the Ilkley Community Transport bus. Our journey started at the Ashland’s Primary School in Ilkley. We drove on the coach from Ilkley to Fleetwood for lunch. We ate fish and chips at Fleetwood. We aimed to get to Blackpool by 5pm to go through the Illumination lights and returned to Ilkley at around 9pm to go home. I look forward to our next Sausage Sizzle to commemorate the moment.
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