Harrow Council welcomes disabled learners and aims to provide help and support to ensure equal educational opportunity for everyone.
This Statement provides information on the Adult, Community & Family Learning provision secured by Harrow Council and gives details of the support available for learners with a disability. Because much of the Adult, Community & Family Learning provision in Harrow is delivered through a range of different organisations, the Statement gives general information that applies to all the work and contacts on more details that can be supplied by individual providers.
Adult, Community & Family Learning provision
Harrow Council secures Adult & Community Learning through partnership arrangements with a range of providers, including Stanmore College and a number of voluntary and community groups. Courses take place in a large number of venues and buildings, including schools, community centres, day centres, church halls, temples and mosques, in order to make sure that learning opportunities are available in local centres. As such, physical access and the availability of support services do vary. However, Harrow Council is committed to improving access and support and has ongoing work to improve access to buildings, increase the availability of adaptive technologies and widen the additional support available. Additional information on the support for learners with a disability and on the policies applicable for the major providers of Adult & Community Learning in Harrow can be obtained from the relevant organisation.
Definition of Disability
For the purposes of this Statement, disability is defined as: 'A physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long- term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.' Harrow Council recognises that many disabled students do not require any additional support. However, if you feel you meet the above criteria and want to find out about what support is available please discuss your needs with the organisation providing your course.
Learner support available
Harrow Council works in partnership with other providers to secure provision specifically established for learners who have a learning difficulty and/or impairment.
This provision includes:
A programme of part-time courses and activities - like art, drama and singing. For more information on the range of provision in this programme, please contact Learn Harrow on 020 8204 3567
Access to a range of discrete courses for mental health service users or ex-users, including art, Yoga and cartooning, is provided by the Stepping Stones programme run under MIND in Harrow. For more information on the courses for mental health service users provided through the Stepping Stones programme, please contact: Jody Hawley, Stepping Stones Co-ordinator, on 020 8515 7878
Independent Living Skills courses courses for disabled learners provided by Learn Harrow, please contact Learn Harrow on 020 8204 3567
Access to Adult Learning
These are general comments about additional support available. Please contact the relevant provider for particular support available for any course.
What happens when you apply to join a course?
For most courses you will be asked to complete an enrolment form, on which you are encouraged to provide information about your disability. Any information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be passed on to a third party without your prior consent.
Many providers of courses will have a named person(s) with whom you can discuss your needs and the nature of the support you may need. Please check with individual providers for this information.
Learning support
The level of support available does vary between venues and courses. Additional support may be provided through:
- Specialist support - (interpreter, communicator, note taker etc)
- Adaptation of materials - (large print photocopies, taping of parts of textbooks etc)
- Specialist equipment - (loop systems, specialist software, adaptive computer equipment etc).
- One-to-one or small group support
- Additional help when taking an examination - (extra time, a reader, access to a computer or other specialist equipment etc)
- Physical access to buildings
- Adult & Community Learning courses take place in a variety of buildings around the borough, including locations at the heart of local communities. You can find out more information about the accessibility of each venue by consulting our list of learning providers.
Readability
We have made every effort to ensure this web site is easily readable using 'plain english'. In addition, we have ensured that the design of this website is not an obstacle to its usability and readability.
The power of the web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect. Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web. The team behind this web site hope that whoever needs to use it, can do so easily. If you do have problems, or would like to make any suggestions to improve the site from an accessibility point of view, please get in touch with us. Talk to us about the problem and we will listen.
