by Alison Venter
As a teacher of 18 years who uses a wheelchair to get around, people often assume I struggle with the judgement of students, given children’s celebrated ability to call out any and all difference.
But at every school I’ve worked, the kids have been fantastic. I welcome their questions and explain the danger of assumptions. They always figure out that we’re all different and that’s OK.
In reality, the biggest challenges are often more mundane, like the perils of an inaccessible workplace.
One school I was previously working at, for example, went through a long and intricate planning process to build a new campus. It wasn’t until construction was underway that I found out the classroom I would be using had a step at its entrance.
I hadn’t been involved in the design and wouldn’t expect to have been – it was all being handled by a team of talented architects. But, for me, the step was totally unworkable.
The designers stood by their plan, insisting that I could use the back door to come and go. Luckily, the school backed me, and the step was removed so that I could use the classroom like my students and everyone else.
Accessibility is about creating spaces that make everyone feel welcome, and this is a good example.
While in this case, I’m sure the architects meant no ill will, by making it unnecessarily harder for some people to enter a space, they were accidentally sending a message that those people were not a priority.
Accessibility isn’t a niche issue and it can’t be an afterthought. By accommodating the needs of everyone who accesses a space, we ease the approach for future occupants.
In my years as an educator working in a variety of school locations, it is obvious that there has been a focus on accessibility for students. But what about for educators?
In my new role as an education consultant I am constantly wondering if I will be able to access the school I am visiting. Will I be able to get in the front door? Is there an accessible toilet, or is it currently being used as a storage cupboard for lab coats and sports bags?
This challenge is not limited to school environments. It includes organisations who provide education, services and training to educators. An education organisation recently informed me that unfortunately the room where a training session was being held was located in a basement, with no elevator access. Only if they had enough attendees could they look at moving to an alternative, accessible venue.
According to Australian Government research commissioned for the Employ their Ability campaign, employers in the education, social care and healthcare sectors are amongst the most willing to employ people with a disability.
However, just 45 per cent of these employers think their business is equipped to hire someone with disability, and 38 per cent see hiring a person with disability as a ‘step into the unknown’.
Closing the gap between intent and action is important, because people with disability are considerably under-represented in the workforce. Less than 50 per cent of those with a disability are currently working, compared to 83 per cent of Australians without disability.
We can close that gap. Employers just need help to see how achievable it is.
The Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) like ramps or desks. Training is also available through JobAccess to help teams feel comfortable and make sure new people feel welcome and supported.
If employers fear a ‘step into the unknown,’ the answer is simple – let’s just take out the step.
Alison Venter is an Education Consultant for Independent Schools Tasmania.