From Compliance to Culture Change

On 5th March AchieveAbility attended the NIACE Conference which launched the final report 'From Compliance to Culture Change' from the Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning. The Commission was established in March 2007 to investigate and report on current practices in the employment of disabled people in the lifelong learning sector.

The report gives feedback on extensive research into the employment of disabled staff in the lifelong learning sector and makes recommendations for a number of organisations and agencies to move from legal compliance towards change in disability equality culture change within the sector. The Commission found that "despite the introduction of various pieces of disability legislation, in policy terms the sector’s disabled staff remain invisible… All pointing to a systemic failure to address the issue seriously, which has led to widespread institutional discrimination against disabled staff in the sector".

At the conference Leisha Fullick, Chair of the Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning (CDSLL), commented on how this report will be taken forward;

A copy of the report summary will be sent to every Lifelong learning institution, organisation and agency.

The Commission is expecting a formal response from government on the report.

The Commission is also expecting a formal response from all the large structural Lifelong Learning organisations and agencies.

Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) is in general support of the report and has committed to deal with the responses from the organisations and agencies.

LLUK will be setting up an Advisory Committee to take forward and action the report through data collection and research, they aim to 'pull the sector together'.

LLUK will be...
- Driving institutions to get the voice of disabled staff heard more.
- Calling upon Government to play a part in ensuring structural agencies are made accountable.
- Asking Government for funding, if necessary, to fill the 'anticipatory duties' of the Lifelong Learning sector.

The report will be sent to the Disability Equality Commission, where it is hoped they will it support it and LLUK Advisory Committee in taking it forward.

The summary report can be downloaded below, for further information visit the NIACE website