UEL academic widens inclusivity for disability

There are people who talk about making a difference - and then there are those that just go out and do it. 

David Bara, senior lecturer for special educational needs in the School of Education & Communities, has had first-hand experience of dealing with children with disabilities and access needs - and this propelled him on a journey to make the world more inclusive.

In 2018, David Bara, and his wife Emma, created WeCanAccess, a certified social enterprise aimed at creating a shift in social attitudes and practice by demonstrating that accessibility and inclusivity is vital for a more economically and socially sustainable future.  

After their daughter was left with a range of disabilities following treatment for a brain tumour, at the age of two, and with their son battling with dyslexia, both David and Emma spent years trying to find appropriate support to meet the needs of their family.

They said, "as a family with a SEND child, we struggled to find suitable places to go, products our child needed and then there was the constant struggle to get the appropriate support."  It was their experience, and those of the hundreds of families they met along the way, that sparked the idea for WeCanAccess.

The WeCanAccess platform highlights examples of best practice by inviting the community to review and recommend local places that do accessibility well, and through personal accounts in the blog space. Moderated discussion boards allow people to discuss important issues safely, and embedded translation and reader software enables people to read comments in 100 different languages and hear them read out loud in around 40.

The blog area welcomes guest blogs from people who have experiences, both personal and professional, in what good accessibility and inclusion looks like.