Updates

1 May 08

Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning – Implementation Phase

The NIACE-initiated Commission launched its final and summary reports on March 5 2008 at QEII Conference Centre, Westminster. They gained good coverage in the national press and other media outlets which NIACE will be following up over the coming months. We have had a preliminary response from Bill Rammell, Minister of State, Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education. In a letter to Alan Tuckett - [PDF], he highlighted the report’s recommendations on the visibility of ‘Access to Work’ programmes and reassured the field about the improvements needed. He also said,

“I would also like to take this opportunity to tell you that my department will be providing a response to the Commission’s report. I can assure you that the response will be very positive and show that we intend to demonstrate the leadership needed to change the sector from compliance to culture change.”

We are following up on that, as DIUS's position will be crucial. We are also contacting leaders of all organisations to whom the recommendations were directed to keep up the momentum.

Lifelong Learning UK have accepted the specific recommendations for them, and are currently setting up disability equality Implementation Group which is scheduled to meet on 3 June. Paul Mackney, NIACE's Associate Director (FE), who is also on the LLUK Board, has agreed to chair the group. We at NIACE are ready to assist in every way we can. One part of this is planning a conference for next year, with the working title: 'Report and Recommendations for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning: progress one year on'. We're aiming provisionally for Wednesday 4 March, 2009.

We will update you on progress at regular intervals, and when there are matters of importance to report.

The Commission is supported by: