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Transporting children to school: Not my problem, but whose is it?

As a visually impaired parent, getting the children to school was a particular consideration when choosing a school. But once the logistics were worked out, possibly unlike many parents, I felt the problem was solved.

Parents have a legal obligation to get their children to school but what happens when events mean you need help to comply? Who is then responsible? Who should be taken to court? Should the family be penalised for the failure of the services to provide support when families ask for it?

Once again the question is, are services designed to suit people’s needs or do people have to fit in with services?

The dilemma

Recent events have brought this question to the forefront again.

One of the children broke an ankle, which meant being in plaster and having to use crutches. How do I get her to school? I will never be able to drive and although the school is only about a mile away, the hourly bus service only starts at 8.35am, the time she needed to be in the playground for line-up. Also, this service can only get us part way there, as no buses stop on the same road as the school.

So I rang the school and explained the situation: they were understanding and said there would not be a problem with her going in late. Great ... but ...! The head gave me the name of the person responsible for transporting children to school, saying at the same time that he probably wouldn’t be able to help. Guess what? He couldn’t! The service is for children with long-term needs and they would need confirmation from the consultant; by the time that came through, she would probably be out of plaster.

I also spoke to the school’s learning mentor and she made enquiries which resulted in the same answer that I received.

Thumbs up

Having persuaded my daughter that using a wheelchair sometimes would ease hand blisters and tiredness I then set out to find out where and how. I rang my general practitioner’s receptionist and explained the situation. She then faxed through a referral to the occupational therapist, advising me that as it was Friday it would be Monday before I heard anything and that if we experienced difficulties over the weekend to return to the ‘walk-in centre’. (The nearest A&E is about eight miles away.)

The occupational therapist rang on Monday morning and came out at 4pm that afternoon. She expressed concern about my being able to manage the wheelchair on buses but thankfully accepted my reassurances – reluctantly – and provided a brand new wheelchair on loan (well it still had its plastic wrapping on the wheels). She also said she had taken the liberty of enquiring about transport and advised us that we MIGHT be able to get some social fund help for taxis to school but that, again, the funding might take some time to come through.

The first time we tried out the wheelchair, I was assisted by a very helpful driver on a Jim Stones bus (a service run by a small, local family bus company), who offered to put the ramp down because he thought the kerb was too low. So ... I received a good service from the general practice receptionist, the occupational therapist and a bus driver.

Thumbs down

But a big thumbs down goes to the Education Department.

Because these days I am quite active in school and community life, someone told me about a local trust that can sometimes provide funding for non-statutory issues and they funded a contribution towards our taxi costs. The funny thing now is that I can’t get a taxi at that time in the morning because they are all tied up with special school contracts!

Other parents may not be able, for a variety of reasons, to challenge the system as I did. Once again the individual has to fit in with the services despite the fact that services are supposed to be there for people. And these services are, no doubt, designed by non-disabled people.

Ah, well! This is another experience which proves that it is society that disables people – and that it is the system that has failed my child – not me. I have to fit in with services, not the other way around. If I looked at it any other way I would never leave home.

Terri Balon

Comments from other visually impaired parents

“My child got a taxi to school provided for and paid for by the County Council. When we went to look round the school, we mentioned to the head teacher that we were concerned about getting our children back and forth to school. I would be the main parent responsible for this and there were two tremendously busy roads to cross en route (three lanes of traffic and no pelican or zebra crossings!) He advised us to speak to School Transport at the County Council and that he would support our application. We had to re-negotiate the contract each year which sometimes proved easier than others. One year it looked as though we might lose it, because I was told our situation was no different to having one parent work shifts (couldn’t figure that one out myself!)”

Di Vaughan

“My child got a taxi to school provided by the local authority only when the child had a visual impairment; no help was provided for my sighted child.”

Mary Cox

“I did have a horrendous time trying to arrange taxis through my local education authority, as we lived just over two miles away from the school but very rural with no footpaths, street lighting or public transport. Their main issue was that my children didn’t have special needs so they weren’t sure they could help!”

Cath Hodson

“I strongly believe that being a visually impaired parent should be part of the criteria for support with transporting children to school.”

Next: Parents experience... Accentuating the positive