NO to cuts to school transport for disabled children and young people in Havering

Cutting school transport for Havering children and young people is a despicable way to claw back money as Havering Council face bankruptcy.

Basic requirements for disabled children to attend school safely have nothing to do with Havering Council's financial difficulties.

Havering Council has a duty of care - and dignity - to our valuable disabled children and young people, many of whom cannot conceptualise let alone fight these essentially ableist proposals.

Disabled children live inequitable lives and are highly vulnerable, including to abuse; considerably more so than their non-disabled peers.

Do what is right and protect the rights of disabled children and young people to get to school safely.

No to Personal Transport Budgets, which will cost exhausted carers even more in money, time and energy.

Many of us have already given up our careers because of inadequate provision for what our children need. Driving our disabled children to school on a budget of £0.45p/mile presents a myriad of practical difficulties for parents who are even able to do this, and not all of us are.

Your Uber car and carpooling suggestions are ludicrous from both safeguarding and accessibility perspectives.

No to Travel Training, which is inherently ableist and inequitable for many of our children.

Our children rely on the robust, safeguarded, continuity of care that school transport provision currently delivers. You have no right to take this away or to impose false narratives around flexibility and independence.

Our children do not deserve the proposed cuts to their transport to school. The message that these cuts is sending is clear: that disabled children are not valued in Havering.

Our wonderful children absolutely deserve to be valued and we call on you to actively value all children in this borough.

Please show your support because cuts to such a basic need for disabled children and young people are utterly indefensible.