Valuing Difference: Disability History and Equality

About this event

We want all Hackney school staff and students to understand disability history and rights. This helps create and embed inclusive and disability-aware schools and settings. In support of UK Disability History Month (16 November to 16 December), we are running essential training to help schools and settings discover, explore, and celebrate disability history and disability rights. 

This FREE engaging, practical, and timely training will support the delivery of activities and sessions during 2023 UKDHM (UK Disability History Month) and beyond. We warmly and strongly encourage attendance from all schools and settings. This session will be a stepping stone to schools achieving the nationally recognised Inclusive School Award known as the Quality Inclusion Mark

Dates and times

There are 2 date options to offer some flexibility. Please sign up for and attend the most convenient option for you.

If you have any queries contact Ella Ritchie - Hackney 0-25 SEND Local Offer Coordinator - at ella.ritchie@hackney.gov.uk

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About the trainer

Richard Rieser OBE is the founder of UKDHM and offers training on Disability History and Disability Rights and Inclusion. He is the Managing Director of World of Inclusion, a leading disability advocate working with the UN, and an expert disabled international equality trainer, consultant, filmmaker, and writer. Richard was also a teacher in Hackney for many years including being an Advisory Teacher for Inclusion and Disability.

Last year Richard was commissioned by the Welsh Government to develop teaching materials and resources for the school curriculum so that Disability History and Disability Rights can be something that all pupils learn with the intention that a growing awareness and understanding leads to better inclusion of all pupils in all aspects of their lives. Richard has further developed this training and resources for Hackney schools.

The law - session context and information

The Equality Act 2010 states that all public bodies, those funded from the public purse, are under a Duty (sec 149 of the Equality Act) to have due regard to  promoting Disability Equality by:

(A) eliminating discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act; 
(B) advancing equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; 
(C) fostering good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

At the session, we will explore:

  • Disability Equality
  • Valuing difference
  • Barriers to inclusion and solutions to overcome barriers
  • Disabled People’s Rights - United Nations Convention Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  • Try out resources and activities for schools and settings to explore disability history and rights in an accessible and engaging way.
  • Q&A

We are offering this FREE training and access to a toolkit to support you in planning and delivering sessions within your settings to staff, pupils, and students during UKDHM and/or beyond.

You will leave feeling confident to explore and lead session/s with pupils and staff in your settings. You will have a greater understanding of the law and culture surrounding Disability Equality and leave with a session resource toolkit that will enable you to engage all students and staff in this important topic.

Who should attend?

This session is suitable for Schools SENCOs, Teachers, and SEND Governors. Headteachers would also be welcome if they wished to attend. 

Follow-up resources - The Valuing Difference Toolkit

We would like attendees to cascade the learning from this session by delivering a session during 2023 UK Disability History Month or soon after. 

This session will provide you with background information, an overview of important legislation, a demonstration of accessible engaging activities to deliver to pupils, and students in your settings, and resources for a class or school assembly, and/or staff training e.g. teachers and teaching assistants or learning support assistants. 

After you have attended the session you will have access to The Valuing Difference Toolkit. These resources have been created to help you maximize opportunities to explore this topic during UK Disability History Month and beyond. The Toolkit includes: 

  • A webinar recording overview of this topic
  • 2 Slide Decks (Valuing Difference - Disability History and Valuing Difference - Disability Rights) 
  • Activities list 
  • Lesson Plans 
  • Assembly plans and resources (class or whole school)
  • Links to short videos explaining key aspects of the topic 
  • Short articles 
  • Links to further useful information