Introduction

Innovation Dance Studios welcomes its general responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and resultant Equality Duty to have due regard to the need to:

· promote equality of opportunity between disabled and non-disabled people;

· eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Act;

· eliminate harassment of disabled persons that is related to their impairments;

· promote positive attitudes towards disabled people;

· encourage participation by disabled people in public life; and

· take steps to take account of a disabled person’s impairments, even where that involves treating the disabled person more favourably than other people. This Scheme sets out the steps the governing body will take that will result in improved outcomes for disabled pupils, parents/carers and staff in all aspects of school life. School Ethos, Vision & Values

· At Innovation Dance Studios we are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for disabled pupils, staff and all those receiving services from the school.

· We aim to develop a culture of inclusion and diversity in which people feel free to disclose their disability and to participate fully in school life.

· Our admissions policy does not discriminate against disabled pupils.

· The achievement of disabled pupils will be monitored and we will use this data to raise standards and ensure inclusive teaching.

 · We will make reasonable adjustments to ensure that the school environment is as accessible as possible.

· We will not tolerate harassment of disabled people with any form of impairment.

· This school uses the “social model” of disability, as the basis for its work to improve equality for and tackle discrimination against disabled people. This model says that it is the world and society that creates barriers that limit or prevent disabled people from enjoying the same opportunities as people who are not disabled.

Definition of Disability

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines a disabled person as someone who has a ‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. According to the Disability Discrimination Act, an impairment is to be treated as affecting the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to day activities, only if it affects one or more of the following: DISABILITY EQUALITY SCHEME mobility, manual dexterity, physical co-ordination, continence, ability to lift, carry or otherwise move everyday objects, speech, hearing or eyesight, memory or ability to concentrate, learn or understand and perception of the risk of physical danger.

The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 has extended the definition of disability to include people with HIV, multiple sclerosis and cancer from the point of diagnosis. Individuals with a mental illness no longer have to demonstrate that it is “clinically well-recognised”; although the person must still demonstrate a long-term and substantial adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Disability Equality in Education (DEE) recommends that all pupils with SEN and those with long term medical needs be treated as disabled for the purposes of the Act and for equality. This is in addition to all pupils with long-term impairments, which have a significant impact on their day-to-day activities.

How Disabled People have been involved in the Scheme Innovation Dance Studios recognises the importance of involving disabled people fully in the development of our Disability Equality Scheme. We have involved disabled people in the following ways: Disabled Pupils:

* We have identified our disabled pupils and we ensure that they are fully included and have access to all educational opportunities

* We ensure that there is disabled representation on our Class and School Councils and in posts of responsibility around the school

* We ensure that our disabled pupils have a voice in school matters. Key issues identified by our pupils were:

 · Some disabilities cannot be seen therefore all staff in the school should be fully aware of all children with disabilities. This includes support staff, lunchtime staff and students.

· Disabilities must be taken into account during playtimes, lunchtimes and Assembly times.

· Disabled pupils would appreciate other children in the class knowing about their disability to promote further understanding. Disabled Staff:

* We have asked all staff to identify any barriers in school that affect them and how we can plan to overcome them.

* We have taken into account the limitations of some staff when planning events to ensure maximum participation Key issues identified by our staff were:

· Sensitivity applies when educational visits are planned, for example accessibility to venues or the inability to walk for lengthy periods or on inclines.

· Time to attend hospital appointments Disabled parents/carers:

* We have sent a letter to all parents inviting them to contribute to the scheme (Oct 2009). * We have invited disabled parents to identify any barriers and suggest how we can improve the way we meet their needs.

* We have invited disabled parents/carers to join parents groups in school (SHARE group) Key issues identified by our disabled parents/carers were:

· School is not always aware of the disabilities of parents/carers. When children are admitted to school, we will invite parents/carers to inform school of any special requirements they, as parents, may require to enable full access to the school and their child’s education. · Parents would like communications in large print (minimum 11 point)

· Disabled parents would like to volunteer in school Disabled members of the local community:

* Representative members of our local community meet at our School Forum meetings once a term. We have asked all the groups which make use of our facilities to identify any barriers and suggest reasonable adjustments. (School Forum minutes December 2009) Key issues identified by members of the local community were:

· Visitors to the school should be made aware of alternative entrances that could be used to minimise distances walked for those with mobility difficulties

· Visitors should be made aware of the nearest disabled toilet facilities How we have gathered information on the effect of our policies and practices on disabled people. We recognise that our policies and practices may impact on disabled people and in particular:

* on the recruitment, development and retention of disabled employees;

* on the educational opportunities available to and the achievements of disabled pupils. We acknowledge that information gathered from a wide range of sources will be required in order to identify the actions which we need to take to promote disability equality. We will ensure that information is gathered in relation to both employment and the delivery of our services. The processes we use for gathering information include:

* Pupil Achievement: At Innovation Dance Studios we track the progress of pupils with a variety of needs including disability. There are three target setting meetings each year where individual progress is monitored and any barriers to learning identified. Pupils with disabilities are tracked separately as not all pupils with a disability have a SEN. We use Average Points Scores to measure progress of classes and also significant groups to enable us to compare the progress made by those with additional needs. We also make classroom observations, scrutinise pupil’s work and use pupil interviews to gather relevant information

* Learning Opportunities: We are committed to ensuring that all children in our school have access to a wide range of learning opportunities. No child is discriminated against on the grounds of disability.

* All admissions to our school are fair and equitable. The Admissions Policy is clear and does not discriminate against any pupil. We admit children with a wide range of abilities and every child is accepted as an individual and provided with a quality education that meets their individual needs. We liaise closely with parents/carers, representative from other settings and professionals from outside agencies to ensure a smooth transition both into and out of our school. We monitor exclusions to ensure that there is not an over representation of disabled pupils.

 * Social Relationships: The school has a strong ethos of inclusion with a positive and friendly atmosphere.

* Employing, Promoting and Training Disabled Staff: Our recruitment procedures are in line with Local Authority recommendations and actively promote equality opportunity for all members of the community. As a fully inclusive school, we ensure that all staff are offered equal opportunities for training and promotion. We monitor training opportunities to ensure all needs are met. How we will assess the impact of our policies?

· The main point of access to measuring the impact of our policies will be through the Action Plan. This will identify areas of priority and the impact will be measured against the successful achievement of those objectives.

· The directors will take responsibility for ensuring that the Disability Equality Scheme is reviewed annually The Disability Equality Duty Code of Practice provides information on how to make decisions about impact assessment.

We recognise that all our policies may have an impact on the participation and outcomes for disabled pupils, parents/carers, staff and members of the local community. We have agreed a programme to review the impact of policies and this is contained in our action plan.

DISABILITY EQUALITY SCHEME

Our disability policy complies with the Equality Act 2010

REVIEW:

Our scheme will be reviewed and revised (evaluated) after a period of 3 years and disabled people will be involved in the process. A new action plan will be produced, responding to issues identified through our impact assessment and included in our annual reports.