Visually Impaired Children (Hansard, 19 December 2002)

§ Mr. Ivan Lewis

Responsibility for making suitable provision for children with special educational needs, including those with visual impairment, rests in the first instance with schools and local education authorities (LEAs). The nature and extent of provision is decided locally in the light of the circumstances and individual needs of each child. In making provision, schools and LEAs must have regard to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, which provides practical guidance to schools and LEAs on their responsibilities and promotes consistency of approach.

Since September 2002, LEAs and schools have had a duty to ensure that disabled pupils are not treated less favourably, without justification, than non-disabled pupils; and to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled pupils are not put at a substantial disadvantage to their non-disabled pupils. In England and Wales there is also a duty on LEAs and schools to plan strategically and make progress in increasing physical accessibility to schools' premises and to the curriculum. The DfES has issued guidance on the new duty, Accessible Schools: Planning to increase access to schools for disabled pupils.

Substantial funding has been provided, and continues to be provided under the Schools Access initiative to improve access for disabled children—£70 million in 2002–03, increasing to £100 million for each of the next three years, 2003–06.

In addition, in 2002–03 a total of £91 million was made available to LEAs and schools to support the needs of pupils with SEN and disabilities and vulnerable children from the DfES Standards Fund. The same level of funding will be available in 2003–04. The fund can be used for training, including training leading to mandatory qualification for teachers of pupils with visual impairment.