Schools
Budgetary restraints and financial pressures have inevitably forced schools to make many cutbacks, leading to a significant reduction in extracurricular activity, resources and training. As a result, the necessity for disability awareness training in schools has become increasingly overlooked. However, last year, it was reported that hate crimes against disabled children in the UK rose by nearly 150 per cent (in just two years), therefore the need for awareness training could not be greater.
At Bascule Disability Training, we donate 75% of our surplus generated through work with businesses to the provision of free disability awareness training in state schools.
The social enterprise’s work with schools is in continuation and in honour of the work of the charity- Enable Me, of which Chris Jay was formerly the Executive Chairman.
How we help children
Our training in schools enables children to develop an awareness of disability, allowing them to learn about the needs, challenges and unique life experiences of disabled people.
We aim to create positive attitudes towards disability by encouraging children of all age groups to explore and understand disability through interactive workshops, games and debates. The bespoke and unique training packages for children have been developed to compliment the school curriculum and are user-led- meaning they are facilitated by at least one person who has a disability themselves.
The awareness days are also comprised of interactive workshops where people with disabilities discuss their lives and answer young people’s questions as well as discussions and activities on bullying – encouraging the children to consider how best to deal with this, as well as participating in teacher led activities, and role play sessions.
These training modules also include (with sufficient notice and additional cost) the participation in disability sports and interaction with guest speakers and presenters.
How our school awareness days work
Our Awareness Days with school pupils involve a variety of activities including:
• Talks by members of our team covering how they lead independent lives, disability sport, hidden disabilities, etc.
• Participating in a variety of disability sports
• Dealing with bullying
• Interactive workshops and debates
• Role play & drama
• Motivational speakers as part of enrichment days
• A variety of teacher led activities including art activities and quizzes
How we help teachers
Our training for teachers is tailored to enable school staff to meet their statutory requirements, whilst also achieving best practice in the support of children and young people with disabilities.
The training we provide covers a diverse range of topics from relevant legislation to adapting spaces with the overall goal of providing an inclusive environment.
The training also focuses on the various methods of communication, definitions and models of disability and the use of appropriate language. Our user-led sessions are designed to help teachers to confidently communicate with pupils with disabilities, whilst exploring hidden disabilities and the systemic barriers related to inclusion.
If you are a state school that is interested in benefiting from our free training – or a private school that would like to learn more about how we can help you raise awareness - contact Bascule Disability Training now on 0330 3800662.
