Disablist Bullying - Experience into Change, providing the right support services

Disablist bullying is a complex and layered issue that crosses from child to adult level, often because ID/SEN individuals have not been sufficiently prepared to cope with such issues as marginalisation, exclusion and bullying behaviours. Disablist bullying research and the widespread adoption of practical approaches is scarce. What research exists, tends to come from the medical rather than social model of disability, and fails to think about the negative representations of disability as ‘difference’ and the possible role of school practices in facilitating conditions within which bullying disabled children is more likely to occur. Within this project then, the partners operating at higher education level, aim to combine research, best practice and cross-disciplinary (educational, psychological, sociological) modern pedagogical approaches (eLearning, partner learning, and peer learning) with widely used technological means (Internet, apps, multi-media,) in order to provide comprehensive cross-national insight into research, policy and practice in regards to disablist bullying that will form the basis of a report with policy recommendations but also, and most pertinently, create an online repository sharing research, best practice and host partner developed training course materials, including multi-media material, that will form a cross-partner trialled and evaluated course for the prevention and intervention of disablist bullying aimed at and piloted cross-nationally with 100 participants across both those with SEN, and student teachers/teachers/and professional trainers, who will work and learn together. In creating this course, and supplying online the materials (written & multimedia) required to implement it elsewhere, alongside access to the partner networks/expertise in an on going basis, this project will provide timely, innovative and continuing support to both learners with disabilities/special needs and those who seek to educate/work with them in order to tackle bullying issues, improve socialisation, reduce marginalisation and ease both their lives in school and their migration into adulthood and the working world, to allow them to enjoy fully rounded lives and contribute more widely to society. It will also provide support to and educate, educators and trainers in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in learning through educational institutions and wider society, via more in-depth understanding and work with SEN individuals, and the provision of training/educational materials. At the local level the impact of this project will be felt most directly in schools and workplaces and in changing/enhancing the personal/professional lives of those that undertake the coursework/training. At a regional and national level the advertising, recruitment and dissemination process for the project will alert, educate and involve schools, workplaces and stakeholder institutions (e.g. SEN advocacy groups, Teacher Unions, Work Unions, Parent Organisations) to the work being done, encouraging them to utilise their networks in turn to further advertise the project and educate its members as to the outcomes. In addition, the report with associated policy recommendations will be disseminated to all stakeholders including regional and national governmental authorities. This will ensure a promotion and dissemination of the project and project results across decision makers at different levels.