Education Providers

Schools have responsibilities under part II and part III as employers and service providers as well as part IV as education providers under the Disability Discrimination Act. Additionally they also have duties under the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act 2001 (SENDA). The mixture of requirements is complex.

SENDA, as well as requiring strategic planning from LEA's to increase the overall accessibility of their premises also requires schools to produce accessibility plans as well as change its practices, policy and procedures to prevent discrimination against disabled people.

Schools are required to have their accessibility plans in place by April 2004.

Schools should be aware that if their facilities are let to outside groups for private functions then they would be classified as a service provider under the DDA and responsible to comply with the requirements and stringent time scale imposed by Part III.