Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001

15 Accessibility strategies and plans: procedure

In the 1995 Act, insert the following section—

“28E Accessibility strategies and plans: procedure

(1) In preparing their accessibility strategy, a local education authority must have regard to—

(a) the need to allocate adequate resources for implementing the strategy; and

(b) any guidance issued as to—

(i) the content of an accessibility strategy;

(ii) the form in which it is to be produced; and

(iii) the persons to be consulted in its preparation.

(2) A local education authority must have regard to any guidance issued as to compliance with the requirements of section 28D(4).

(3) Guidance under subsection (1)(b) or (2) may be issued—

(a) for England, by the Secretary of State; and

(b) for Wales, by the National Assembly.

(4) In preparing an accessibility plan, the responsible body must have regard to the need to allocate adequate resources for implementing the plan.

(5) If the Secretary of State asks for a copy of—

(a) the accessibility strategy prepared by a local education authority in England, or

(b) the accessibility plan prepared by the proprietor of an independent school (other than a city academy) in England,

the strategy or plan must be given to him.

(6) If the National Assembly asks for a copy of—

(a) the accessibility strategy prepared by a local education authority in Wales, or

(b) the accessibility plan prepared by the proprietor of an independent school in Wales,

the strategy or plan must be given to it.

(7) If asked to do so, a local education authority must make a copy of their accessibility strategy available for inspection at such reasonable times as they may determine.

(8) If asked to do so, the proprietor of an independent school which is not a city academy must make a copy of his accessibility plan available for inspection at such reasonable times as he may determine.”