Janey Report post Posted September 23, 2010 Hi All, I have to share this major success with you all. After fighting a long and difficult battle with my Local Authority to gain suitable school transport for my son which I won, they have now changed their discrimatory policy of only making reasonable adjustments in school transport for children with long term physical difficulties to ALL children with long term medical difficulties. I am so pleased about this, I fought and gained suitable transport for T. to go to his new high school which has clearly been very successful. The LA had a policy which descriminated against ASD children which they have now changed as a result of my fight. Many more ASD children will now be able to get to school in a state to learn. Janey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally44 Report post Posted September 23, 2010 Well done. It is good to hear that changes have taken place that will benefit other children too. It makes all the hard work and effort even more worth it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted September 23, 2010 Well done you! K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
emmasmum Report post Posted September 24, 2010 That's fantastic news. Our LA seems to be following a similar vein as yours is - did you go to official complaint/ombudsman?? Carol x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted September 24, 2010 Yes Janey, how did you do it? I challenged our LEA transport policy with regard to college students and they backed down after we started judicial review proceedings. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Janey Report post Posted September 25, 2010 Hi All, I requested transport at T's transition review last Autumn, it was turned down of course. I then got evidence from school, autism outreach and his consultant that he would not cope on the school bus which I knew from my older two children is a complete nightmare. My request was turned down agiain on the grounds that he did not fulfil their criteria as exceptional circumstances whatever these criteria are. I claimed that this was disability discrimination and sent them the relevent section of the DDA Act 1995. I had also managed to find on the LA website a copy of their transport policy which stated only children with physical difficulties would be eligible for reasonable adjustments, this policy was never made readily available to me strangely! My final appeal which threatened the Obudsman as my next move, pointed out that the LA was operating an illegal blanket policy by not identifying the individual needs of my child and also the fact that their policy was discriminatory by only mentioning children with 'physical' medical conditions. Within a month of my victory a new policy was issued! Jane Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
