Accessibility strategy for education questions: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for:

Which local authorities do not have an accessibility strategy for education in place as of 7th June
2019?

Which local authorities have never produced an accessibility strategy for education at all?

Was funding given to local authorities to assist them in producing and implementing their accessibility
strategy?

Who is held accountable in the authorities that do not have any accessibility strategy in place?

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested in relation to the following: Which local authorities do not have an accessibility strategy for education in place as of 7th June 2019?

However, you may wish to contact local authorities directly to obtain this information. The reasons why we don’t have the information are explained in the Annex to this letter.

The answer to your other questions are:

Which local authorities have never produced an accessibility strategy for education at all?

All local authorities submitted the first strategies. The first strategies produced by 1 April 2003 were made available to Scottish Ministers and in December 2003 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) published a report evaluating the progress made in preparing strategies and highlighting good practice. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/12/18665/30689

Was funding given to local authorities to assist them in producing and implementing their accessibility strategy?

No additional funding was allocated to local authorities.

Who is held accountable in the authorities that do not have any accessibility strategy in place?

Under the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002 responsible bodies, such as education authorities, have duties to develop and publish accessibility strategies to increase pupils access to the curriculum, Access to the physical environment of schools and Improving communication with pupils with disabilities.The legal duty is with the authority.

Reasons for not providing information - Annex
The Scottish Government does not have the information

The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because it does not collect this information from local authorities. Under the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002 responsible bodies, such as education authorities, have duties to develop and publish accessibility strategies.The information you are looking for will be held with the local authority.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.