All pupils should be helped to fulfil their potential. Reasonable
adjustments can help level the playing field by minimising the
disadvantages that pupils with disabilities might face compared
with their peers.
On Neurodiversity Celebration Week and Sign Language Week, we
tell you everything you need to know about reasonable adjustments
and how they can help disabled pupils in schools.
What are reasonable adjustments?
Reasonable adjustments are changes that organisations must make
if someone’s disability puts them at a disadvantage compared with
others who aren’t disabled.
This is separate to requirements related to physical changes
which make a building accessible, such as disabled toilets.
Schools have a duty to make reasonable
adjustments for disabled pupils, making sure they benefit from
what the school offers in the same way as a pupil who isn’t
disabled.
A school must not discriminate against a disabled pupil because
of something that is a consequence of their disability. For
example, preventing a disabled pupil on crutches from going out
at break time because it would take too long to get out and back
would be considered discriminatory.
Schools should think about how all aspects of the school day
could be adjusted to meet the needs of the disabled child,
including attendance and behaviour, so that everyone is set high
expectations and feels they belong in the school community.
What are some examples of reasonable
adjustments?
Treating disabled pupils equally might mean doing things
differently for them. Here are just some of ways schools can
prevent disabled pupils facing disadvantage. For example:
- a pupil with a visual impairment sits at the back of the
class to accommodate their field of vision.
- a healthy snacks policy is adjusted for a pupil with diabetes
who needs a high-calorie snack at breaktime.
- school uniform is adapted for a pupil who has an allergy to
synthetic material or severe eczema.
- special communication systems like traffic light cards are
put in place for a pupil who needs extra time to complete a task.
- a pupil with dyslexia who struggles to write on white paper
uses different coloured paper.
- a short-term reduced timetable is agreed for a pupil with
Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactive
Disorder who finds classroom environments intimidating, in order
to build their confidence back up to full time attendance.
Find out more:
