Reasonable adjustments for schools in a time of pandemic

The Additional Support Needs Blog

Iain Nisbet: reasonable adjustments in schools in a time of pandemic

The article explores the effects of the pandemic on the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils.

Schools have had a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils since amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 came into force in 2001. These duties were later expanded to include “auxiliary aids and services”. The phrase “reasonable adjustments” is fairly well known by now, but prompts the question – “what is reasonable?” and specifically, what might be regarded as reasonable in the particular circumstances of a global pandemic crisis.

Having extensive experience in education and equality law, Iain Nisbet discusses the forms of disability discrimination in schools, the overlap with additional support needs legislation and issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

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