Current Style: Standard
Disability
Everyone is entitled to equal access to education, whether or not they have a disability.
Disability includes an illness (physical or mental, temporary or chronic), learning and intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, having an infection (such as having Hep C or HIV), even if it doesn’t have symptoms, and being at risk of developing a disease in future (e.g. because you have inherited a gene).
Just because you can’t see someone has a disability, doesn’t mean it’s not real. Students with a disability are entitled to special assistance or equipment to help overcome the disability, unless that would be unreasonable. What is unreasonable will depend on the circumstances, but may include the cost or time to provide the assistance and if other options are available.
For example:
| Rachel was in a car accident that left her with some speech impairment. This made it more difficult for her to read aloud in class and to ask and answer questions. Reasonable special assistance for Rachel could be if she is required to read aloud, allowing more time, or providing a way for her to ask and answer questions in writing. |
Having premises that are difficult for people with disabilities to access can also be discrimination.
Here’s an example:
| Jeremy, who uses a wheelchair, cannot access the school’s information technology hub, because it only has stairs. The information technology hub is not accessible for people with wheelchairs. This is disability discrimination. |
Last updated on Wed, 11/17/2010 - 17:00.
