Happy Ever Afters - disability awareness in children's storybooks - based on the book Happy Ever Afters.
Disability Awareness and Equality Trainers
The aims of bringing disability awareness to children are to help pupils develop a sense of individuality with regard to disability in themselves and others, to help them understand that a variety of solutions can be applied to any situation and to help them recognise alternative cultural values more positively.
Awareness training helps us to discover if our attitudes about other groups of people are based on misleading information, which in turn leads us to making poor decisions in connection with those people. It is always difficult to analyse our own attitudes honestly when traditional cultural pressures present a comfortable and familiar scenario. Skilled trainers suggest situations in which unhelpful attitudes can be clearly identified and challenged.
Awareness trainers allow us to examine situations from other perspectives in order to clarify priorities and direct attention to important but previously neglected areas of concern.
Equality trainers help to examine the design and organization of facilities and services to identify how all groups of people can have the same opportunities to participate in any given activity.
Disability awareness and equality training is best led by trainers who have personal experience of disability, normally in association with organisations of disabled people. There are several different areas of expertise, for example the requirements of new legislation, access audits, equality in business and schools and a wide range of cultural issues. Courses are designed according to the needs of individual clients, be they from education at any level, other statutory or non-statutory organisations, private business, industry or voluntary groups across all interests. Disclaimer
UK centres of expertise include the following groups
British Council of Disabled People (BCODP) promotes equality and inclusion of all disabled people within society and acts as the national representative voice of its 129 member groups. They hold a national mailing list of disability awareness and equality trainers. Litchurch Plaza, Litchurch Lane, Derby DE24 8AA Tel:01332 295551 Fax: 01332 295580 Minicom: 01332 295581 Website http://www.bcodp.org.uk email: bcodp@bcodp.org.uk
Berkshire Disability Information Network (bdin) works widely with businesses and IT companies. Brakenhale School, Rectory Lane, Bracknell RG12 7BA Tel: 01344 301572 / 426500 Fax: 01344 302293 Textphone: 01344 427757 email ask@bdin.demon.co.uk Website http://www.azariah.org.uk/bdin
Greater London Action on Disability (GLAD) specialises in 'Train the Trainer' courses. 336 Brixton Road, London SW9 7AA Tel: 0207 346 5805 Fax: 0207 346 5810 Textphone: 0207 346 5811 email glad@btinternet.com
Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP) promotes the independence and integration of disabled people, supports self organisation, informs, advises, campaigns, and aims to identify and challenge discrimination. 'Carisbrooke', Wenlock Way, Manchester, M12 5LF Tel: 0161 273 5154 voice and textphone Fax: 0161 273 4164 email info@gmcdp.globalnet.co.uk
Hertfordshire Action on Disability specialises in training care workers and social services staff, and Disability Equality in Education. The Woodside Centre, The Commons, Welwyn Garden City Herts AL7 4DD Tel: 01707 324581 voice and textphone Fax: 01707 371297 Website http://www.hertsaction.dial.pipex.com email herts_action@dial.pipex.com
West Norfolk Disability Information Service (WNDIS) has an extensive programme of disability awareness in schools led by a co-ordinator who has over twenty years experience in teaching. Railway Rd, Kings Lynn, Norfolk PE30 1NF Tel: 01553 776177 Fax: 01553 660483 Textphone: 01553 774766 email jonathan.wndis@btclick.com Website http://www.wndis.org.uk
This list will be extended to cover other geographical areas in the near future.
© K. Saunders 2000/2001