International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021

People with disabilities have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation and diminished services which have happened as a result and Department of Health has provided advice for people with disabilities, click here.

Not all disabilities are immediately apparent, such as mental illness, chronic pain or fatigue, sight or hearing impairments, diabetes, brain injuries, neurological disorders, learning differences and cognitive dysfunctions, among others. Disability day is a great opportunity for everyone to act towards making our world more inclusive for everyone.

In current times, wearing face masks is not straightforward for everyone. Some people may find covering their face very difficult, or even impossible to cope with and for those of us with existing mental health problems, impairment, or a disability it can be especially challenging.

If you have a condition (for example, a disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis) which means you cannot wear a face covering you only need to say, if asked, that you cannot wear a face covering because you are exempt.

However, there is nothing preventing an exempt person from voluntarily showing a card or badge that declares that they are exempt, although there is no compulsory requirement to do so. The Government has produced some suitable templates that may be downloaded onto mobile phones or which may be printed in hard copy. Similar templates have also been produced by the charity, Action on Hearing Loss. What is clear is that any declarations of disability should not be used to treat people less favorably than others.

SERC has a 3-year contract with AccessAble who provide accessible information on SERC’s facilities which are available for visitors, staff, and students. To access the site click here. Audits are carried out annually by surveyors to ensure changes are made in compliance with legislation and necessity for people with disabilities and the website is updated when changes have been made.

AccessAble uses 32 accessibility symbols which have been designed in consultation with people with disabilities and represents information to help users find out immediately whether a venue is accessible for individuals.

Disability Action provide weekly newsletters and updates in relation to support available through their DATS team such as providing support to get your booster vaccination. To sign up for their weekly newsletter click here.

If you require support or adjustments for a seen or unseen disability you can contact HR in confidence by emailing hr@serc.ac.uk