Commenting after the passing of motion 41 at NEU Annual Conference, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Disabled educators face a range of barriers including accessing reasonable adjustments in the workplace and discrimination in job interviews and accessing courses.
“The NEU Disabled Members network is thriving and provides essential support and peer to peer advice. Despite this too many disabled educators are retiring early or leaving the professions because of the pressures and demands. With a recruitment and retention crisis in teaching the government needs to do more to facilitate flexible working options in order to keep disabled people in schools.
“Having Disabled role models in education is just one part of the picture. The curriculum also needs to reflect disabled people and their history of struggle. The demonstration for accessible transport led by the Disabled Peoples Direct Action Network in the 1980s is just one example of a resource that would teach young people about collectivising and organising on equality issues as well as highlighting the improvements that have been won for Disabled people.
“We expect schools, colleges and settings to be accessible for all staff and students and therefore commit to all NEU meetings and events also being fully accessible.”