Section 14: Accessibility strategies and plans
80.This section amends the DDA by inserting a new section 28D to place a duty on LEAs and schools in England and Wales to plan, over time, to:
increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum;
increase the physical accessibility of school premises for disabled pupils; and
improve the delivery to disabled pupils of information which is provided in writing for pupils who are not disabled, within a reasonable time, and in ways which are determined after taking account of their disabilities and any preferences expressed by them or their parents.
81.The LEA’s accessibility strategy will set out its plans in respect of the maintained schools in the area. The LEA does not have to produce a self-standing strategy, it can choose the format it feels most appropriate to record its strategy, for example by dovetailing it with another of its plans.
82.A school's accessibility plan will be on a far smaller scale than that of the LEA. Maintained schools are already under a duty to include certain information about their arrangements and facilities for disabled pupils in their governors' annual report. This section places an additional duty to include their accessibility plans in that report. The Government intends that CAs will be required, through their funding agreements, to include information on their accessibility plans in their annual report to parents. LEAs and schools will be under a duty to implement their strategies and plans. The normal inspection frameworks for LEAs and schools may include inspection of their strategies and plans.
83.Regulations will prescribe the period to be covered by the strategy or the plan as well as when LEAs and schools should produce new strategies and plans. LEAs and schools will have to keep their strategies and plans under review, and revise them if necessary in light of that review.