SEND inclusion at the LLDC

Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 10 September 2019.

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Photo of Jennette Arnold Jennette Arnold Labour

Your Ten Year Plan and Five Year Strategy both contain policies to improve inclusion for Londoners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). How is this work progressing, including but not limited to your physical accessibility programme?

Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chair of the LLDC:

LLDC is committed to ensuring Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is an example of the best principles of accessibility and inclusive design. All LLDC venues are fully inclusive and the Park and public realm has set a new standard on inclusive design. The Park Mobility Service has helped transport 23,151 people with access needs around the Park, and 65 sighted guides have been trained. In addition, there is a nominated SEND representative on the LLDC Board and Youth Board to ensure these needs are taken into account at a strategic and operational level.

Motivate East, a five-year programme aimed at delivering the Paralympic legacy, engaged 16,662 participants, provided a range of accessible or adapted specialist equipment to local centres, trained 160 inclusive sports volunteers with 33 per cent of the activities led/co-led by people with a disability or long-term health condition.

LLDC runs a free weekly community sports programme which is designed to be accessible to all. In addition, Active East – a month long free festival of sport held in July 2019 with over 6,000 participants – provided 25 per cent dedicated all ability sessions to ensure SEND requirements were met. All other sessions were designed and delivered to be inclusive and adapted to participant needs.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s volunteering programme to develop Park Champions is also fully inclusive and provides support for those that have additional requirements. 149 Park Champions have disclosed a special education need or disability and 24 of these to date have obtained Level 3 accredited training in Customer Service through a programme delivered in partnership with voluntary sector organisation The Tower Project designed to train and support those with special education needs and disabilities.