James,
Firstly the description of the session that you would like to run worries
me enormously. There are effectively two types of disability training that
you need to know about. The first is called Disability Awareness Training
and the second is called Disability Equality Training.
The former can be produced/directed by any Tom, Dick or Charlotte who
happen to be interested in things to do with disability. Anyone who has
read any kind of book on disability may think that they have all the
ammunition they need to be able to organise/run a reasonable training
session - with a couple of simulation exercises thrown in for good measure.
The second type of training is really quite radical in a number of ways.
It is presented only by disabled trainers who have undergone full training.
The agenda for a DET session is largely the same whatever situation it is
produced in - but can be applied according to any specific requirements set
down by the course organisers. So if a group of Amateur floer arrangers
wanted to know something about welcoming new members who may be disabled,
the training needs that they have will be different from a group of
university admissions tutors for example.
DET is radical in the sense that it does not contain any simulation
exercises. Why? Because spending 30 mins in a wheelchair or whatever -
does not enable a non-disabled person to experience what life is really
like for a disabled person. All it provides (allegedly) is a brief idea of
what it is like (albeit a poor one)to have an impairment as opposed to
understanding what it is like to be a disabled person.
A standard Disability Equality Training session will seek to teach that
disability is a civil rights/political issue as much as any other
"minority" oppressed group of people. It teaches that the experiences of
impairment and of being a disabled person are two seperate experiences.
The training teaches that there are different ways of understanding
disability - and according to which school of thought we belong too will
influence the way in which we think and speak about disability issues
and/or disabled people. The session will go on to look at "Disability
Etiquette" - how to interact with disabled people according to how their
impairment(s) affect them. This framework is built around the needs of the
actual group receiving training so that what is being taught can be applied
directly and immediately with the context in which the training session is
taking place.
I'm sorry if I am preaching to the converted - but I couldn't let this
opportunity pass without my responding to this query.
Regards
Christopher Hopkins
Since this forum isn't for advertising purposes - i'll stop there, but I'm
sure you will find a good number of disabled people who are qualified to
deliver such training. I have sent this to the whole list deliberately -
because I think its important that colleagues know where trainers
perspectives might lie in relation to their own backgrounds (academic v.
personal experience of being a disabled person.
At 15:21 06/03/01 -0000, you wrote:
>Dear all
>
>I am thinking of trying to run a session a disability issues during the
>Adult Learning week during the 12-18 May 2001 and I was wondering if anyone
>had run similar sessions in the past and would be prepared to make any
>suggestions or had any ideas?
>
>Many thanks
>
>James
>Dr James M Palfreman-Kay
>Additional Learning Needs Advisor
>DLG20 Dorset House Library
>Talbot Campus
>Bournemouth University
>Fern Barrow
>Poole
>BH12 5BB
>Tel: 01202 595327
>Fax: 01202 595475
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>
Christopher Hopkins MA
Student Advisor
Disabilities and Additional Needs Service
Herbert Manzoni Building
Loughborough University
Loughborough
Leicestershire
Direct Line (01509) 228339
Fax (01509) 223933
EMail [log in to unmask]
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