Today the new Government delivered its first Queen’s Speech, an annual event where the Queen announces the Government’s legislative agenda for the forthcoming year.
Read what the NAS has to say about the Queen’s speech HERE.
Tag Archives: disability
Inequality
The most powerful story I have ever heard/seen/experienced is inequality. I see it, hear it, and feel it everyday. It’s everywhere – in the bus, supermarkets, schools, the news.
The world that we live in is not fair and most of us have to fight for what should be ours. It is important that we all fight for equal opportunities. Our wealth, sex, age, physical and mental abilities, racial background, or faith, should not inhibit us from having the same opportunities and rights as others. On the same token, we should not treat those who are different from us, in a different way to those who are similar to us.
The story of inequality stikes me everyday. I believe that reducing it is part of my job on this earth.
(In response to today’s Daily Prompt: Second-hand Stories)
Amy Purdy: Living Beyond Limits
Gone with the Windfall – Inclusive School in the Philippines
Today’s Daily Prompt asked: You just inherited $1,000,000 from an aunt you didn’t even know existed. What’s the first thing you buy (or otherwise use the money for)?
$1,000,000 can go a long way. I would use most of it to build an inclusive primary school in the Philippines – the country where I was born. The school will cater for students of all abilities, socio-economic status, religion, gender, etc. It will not discriminate. It will show other schools how it should be done. We will provide a high quality education and will also provide training for parents of children with various needs. I would employ staff that have an open mind, great character and superb knack for teaching. The facilities will be able to cater for kids with disabilities.
One may ask why I would not buy a house, car or whatever for myself. I thought about it, but kids back home would need this school much more than I need those material things. Plus, helping them would make me happy!!
Pingbacks:
Historical and Political Influences on Inclusive Education in the UK
When we look at the UK’s education system today, particularly its emphasis on inclusion, it is difficult to imagine how much have changed over the years. At present, teachers and teaching assistants work very hard everyday to ensure that they give all of their students the best chance to succeed academically and socially. Both the Salamanca Agreement (UNESCO, 1994b) and the Dakar Agreement (UNESCO, 2000) have aimed to promote an inclusive education which expects schools to educate all students, particularly those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. But this has not always been the case. In this post, I will provide a brief summary of the policies that have helped to shape the education system in the UK.
1. The 1880 Education Act
Prior to this Act, only a small percentage of children in the UK went to school. This Act stated that education should be compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old.
2. School fees were abolished in 1891 and school leaving age was extended to 12 years in 1899.
3. Despite haviing a compulsory education system, children with disabilities and other difficulties were still excluded from school. This then led to the establishment of special schools for blind and deaf children (1893) and consequently, special schools for physically impaired children (1899).
ASIDE: During these times, funds to support schools and teachers mainly depended on examination results, i.e. bad results leads to funding being withheld. An unfortunate consequence of this is that the majority of ‘good’ teachers focused their effort on bright students- those who would get them the results they needed, whilst ignoring those who had significant barriers to their learning. In addition, ‘good’ teachers chose to work in schools which had a high percentage of passes in the hope of receiving high salaries. Some schools refused to admit children with disabilities and those who have emotional and behavioural difficulties as they fear they would ‘pull’ their pass percentages down.
4. The Birth of the I.Q. Test
Parallel events are occurring in countries such as France, whose government wanted to devise a selection process which will allow them to identify which children are mentally incapable of learning, from those who are in order to find out which child can be offered an education placement. This then gave rise to the test developed and published by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon in 1905. Refinements by Terman and Stern (1912) brought about the concept of an Intelligence Quotient, or I.Q. as we know it today.
5. The 1902 Education Act
This Act gave local Authorities the freedom to devise their own educational plans to meet their areas’ needs. This included strategies to identify children’s cognitive abilities (using I.Q. tests).They enlisted the help of medical professionals who judged whether children are suitable to attend mainstream education or not on the basis of low I.Q. and/ or emotional and behavioural difficulties.
6. Appointment of Cyril Burt as the first Educational Psychologist in the UK
Due to the fact that medical professionals back then were not trained in the field of psychology, which made it difficult for them to assess children’s educational profiles, the London Conty Council appointed Cyril Burt as an Educational Psychologist. Burt helped to identify children’s educational potential and capabilities. By the end of the 1920s, assessments were made by teams which consist of psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians and social workers.
7. The 1944 Butler Act
School leaving age was raised to 15 years, and secondary education was delivered in Grammar Schools (high achievers), Secondary Technical Schools (average students) and Secondary Modern Schools (everyone else). This Act also stated that children who have any ‘disability of the mind or body’ should be provided with an alternative educational provision. It intended for a segregated education, instead of an inclusive one.
8. The 1978 Warnock Report
This stated that all students should be taught in mainstream education instead of in segregated provisions. This report argued that more and more children are being placed in special schools, but the needs of most of them can be met in mainstream education. It also claimed that the 1944 Act led to stigmatization of students who were labelled as ‘maladjusted’ or ‘subnormal’.
9. The 1981 Education Act
This Act introduced the Staments of Special Educational Needs for children with severe barriers to their learning. This Act required teachers to identify children who needed extra assistance, whilst also requiring local authorities to formally assess children and then provide their schools with additional resources to meet these children’s needs. Consequently, conflicts between teachers’ and LA’s opinions about children’s SEN, with teachers saying that LAs were more concerned about spending than actually meeting the needs of the children. Despite this problem, parents were given the right to appeal to LA’s decisions under this Act.
10. The 1988 Education Reform Act and the introduction of the National Curriculum
The National Curriculum was introduced, which should be followed by every child, regardless of their educational needs. Special schools however, were allowed to deliver the curriculum at a much slower pace and at a lower level. This Act also introduced school inspections and standardised tests such as the Key Stage Standard Attainment Tests (SATs). With parents being allowed to chose schools and with the pressure for schools’ teaching staff to perform, this Act’s unfortunate consequence was the return of Payment by Results system. Again, as a result, most teachers’ focus was directed towards pupils who will give them the results they need to maintain their jobs. These consequences act as a deterrent to the inclusion of students with SEN.
11. The 1993 Education Act and the SEN Code of Practice
This requires schools to show that they have done everything they can to help address children’s difficulties before any statements were issued. A Tribunal System was established to give parents even more rights to appeal to decisions made by their LAs.
12. Special Educational Needs and Disability Act of 2001
This Act introduced the three different levels of support that schools can give to students with SEN:
- School Action: Teachers must adjust their teaching practices to accomodate the needs of the child/children with SEN. Teachers can seek the help of the schools’ SENCo.
- School Action Plus: Schools still help the children but could seek help from professionals outside of the school, such as Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, psychologists, etc.
- Statement of SEN: Multiprofessional assessments initiated by the school and the local authority.
12. The 2011 Green Paper
This paper plans to make changes in response to the inefficiencies of the current system. The authors claimed that
- post-16 young people with SEN are highly likely to not be in education or training,
- children’s needs are identified late,
- Parents vie wthe system as bureaucratic and bewildreing and
- parents have limited choices with regards to schools
This Green Paper aims to (taken from the Department of Education):
- identify children’s needs earlier through earliy checks and a reduced time-limit for SEN Statements
- offer personal budgets to parents with an SEN child
- provide families with trained workers to help them through the process
- give parents a wider choice of schools
- give schools more autonomy to transform SEN provision
- introduce a single SEN category to replace School Action and School Action Plan
- offer more training to teaching staff in order to better address specific issues such as poor behaviour
- and to help pupils with SEN to prepare for adulthood
Don’t Miss The Autism Show!
The Autism Show is an event dedicated to the people working with, living with, and teaching individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions. The show takes place in London and Manchester next month, with presenters who are leading professionals in their fields. Also speaking are some parents and individuals with Autism to share new strategies and their experiences.
Headline speakers this year include , Dame Stephanie Shirley, successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and autism campaigner, Janis Sharp, mother of Gary McKinnon, Carrie and David Grant, TV presenters and parents of two children with autism, and Baroness Angela Browning, Vice President of the National Autistic Society, Patron of Reseach Autism and instigator of the Autism Act 2009
From The Autism Show’s official website
For more information and to book your tickets, visit www.theautismshow.co.uk
Inspiring People with Autism (4): Jason McElwain (J-Mac)
Watch and be inspired:
More on Autism:
Communication difficulties in Autism
Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper: Asperger’s Syndrome’s Poster Boy?
Still unsure if Sheldon has Asperger’s?
The Autistic Me: BBC Documentary
Autism in the classroom:
Guide to parents of students with ASD on coping with the first day back to school
Common signs of Autism in the classroom
First day back to school: Top tips for parents of children with Autism
Practical tips to make your classroom Autism-Friendly
Inspiring People with Autism:
Jessica-Jane Applegate (British Paralympian)
Satoshi Tajiri (Pokemon creator)
More on Savants:
The Psychology of Savants: Memory Masters
The Einstein Effect: Is there a link between having Autism and being a genius?
The Psychology of The Savants Series: Memory Masters
Savants (the knowing ones) are people with neurological conditions like Autism Spectrum Conditions, who also possess incredible intellectual abilities. The videos below are about Savants with impressive memories. Watch and be amazed:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
More on Autism:
Vote for Miss Montana, Alexis Wineman
Communication difficulties in Autism
Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper: Asperger’s Syndrome’s Poster Boy?
Guide to parents of students with ASD on coping with the first day back to school
Inspiring People with Autism:
Jessica-Jane Applegate (British Paralympian)
Managing Tourette’s Syndrome through sports and will-power: The story of USA and Everton FC’s goalkeeper, Tim Howard
Tourette’s Syndrome is a neurological condition that is characterised by nervous, involuntary tics, which can manifest in several forms. People who have Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) may display sudden muscle twitches such as rapid blinking, twisting of their limbs, or sometimes, hitting themselves. Some have verbal tics, such as repetitive utterances of words, meaningless sounds or at times, swearing. I should point out that only about 5-10% of people with TS actually have ‘swearing tics’, despite the widely held belief that all of them do. One can only imagine how challenging everyday life must be for these people.
One of the people who can overcome his tics is Everton FC and American International goalkeeper Tim Howrard. Diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome at the age of 9, Howard has not let his condition get in the way of his passion for sports. He excelled at basketball and football (soccer). In one of his interviews, he said that he suppresses his tics through sheer willpower and determination- a tactic proven to have worked for him throughout his successful professional career. Howard, now playing for Everton FC, have played for four professional football teams including Manchester United. He has also played over 72 games for USA.
Here are some of his career highlights:
Here he is, scoring the farthest ever goal in football history:
I should emphasise that Tourette’s Syndrome manifests in different ways. The type and severity of tics vary from one person to another. Additionally, one person (like Howard) may be able to suppress his or her tics whilst another may not. Nevertheless, Tim Howard’s story once again shows how a diagnosis is not the end of everything.
For more information on Tourette’s Syndrome, click the links below:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
People with disabilities, not disabilities with people
Inspiring people with ADHD:
Inspiring People with Autism:
Weekly Photo Challenge (Big)
My post is an example of how I rarely take things literally. When I found out that this week’s photo challenge theme is BIG, I immediately thought of taking a picture of a disabled sign. I chose this purely because of the enormity of what it represents. To me, it’s not only an indication of a parking space for a car driven by a person with disability, but society’s attempt to accomodate those who are physically and/or mentally challenged. It represents empathy and understanding. Although not relatively new, it still represents a major move forward. Also, since almost, if not all of the disabled car parking spaces that I have seen are right next to the entrance and exits, it represents a positive kind of discrimination since it makes it relatively easier for those with disabilities to park and to access the place/building they want to go to. On the other hand, this sign reminds me of the small minority of people who complain about the very existence of this sign. It’s somewhat hard to accept that at this day and age, people still don’t understand much about disability.
What do you think? What do you feel or think when you see a disabled badge/sign?
What is BIG for you?
Understanding and Embracing Diversity 