www.silverguide.site –

As the parent of a severely disabled child, I have direct experience of the difficulties faced in attempting to secure out-of-school care not only in the holidays but also during term time (More than half of English parents struggle to find accessible holiday clubs for disabled children, 7 July). What did work for me was a scheme run in Bolton in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when play providers were offered support from the local authority to accept children with disabilities.

This was the inclusive play scheme, which sought to provide the service that your article reports is often missing. Under the scheme, a request for a place led to a meeting to explore the child’s difficulties and associated needs in advance, so that the provider received adequate support to not only enable the disabled child to access premises, but also to structure some play activities in which the disabled child could join in and feel included, not just be present.

The scheme was a lifesaver and enabled me to continue to work. However, the added benefit, which in my view was a significant aspect of the scheme, was that able-bodied children learned about disabilities and began to see past wheelchairs, or nappies, or non-verbal communication, and engaged with the individual child as just another playmate.

These early experiences of inclusion provided valuable lessons to the other children, breaking down some of the stigma attached to, and fear of, those who are different.

Hopefully those experiences will have influenced their understanding of disabilities in general as they have grown older.
Philip Collier
Bolton, Greater Manchester

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