Building accessibility
confidence across schools
A fully funded, six-part online programme helping school and inclusion leaders understand accessibility, recognise barriers and turn learning into practical action.
Access Champions participant results
End-of-programme feedback from our first two 2026 cohorts.
Accessibility touches every part of school life
But understanding what good accessibility looks like should not sit with one person or one department. Access Champions brings school leaders together with specialists, lived experience and other schools to explore accessibility through a whole-school lens — then turn that learning into practical improvements.
“It helped us move from reactive support to proactive inclusion.”End-of-programme participant feedback — 2026 cohort 1
Learn. Reflect. Act. Share.
Each session gives participants new ways to notice barriers, reflect on their own school and move accessibility learning beyond the screen and into everyday practice.
Learn
Explore accessibility through specialist guidance, lived experience and practical examples.
Reflect
Look at your own school through a different lens and recognise where barriers may exist.
Act
Choose three practical improvements after each session and put the learning into practice.
Share
Take ideas back to colleagues, build confidence and help accessibility become everybody’s business.
Six sessions.
One whole-school view.
Each session explores accessibility from a different perspective, combining practical guidance with reflection on what it means for everyday school life.
01 Why accessibility matters
Explore what accessibility really means in a school context, why barriers can be easy to miss and how a whole-school approach can make everyday participation easier for pupils, staff and visitors.
- Cohort 3: Friday 18 September 2026 · 09:30–11:00
- Cohort 4: Thursday 14 January 2027 · 09:30–11:00
02 Hearing impairment
Consider communication, acoustics, information and environmental barriers that can affect people with hearing impairments, alongside practical ways schools can respond.
- Cohort 3: Friday 2 October 2026 · 09:30–11:00
- Cohort 4: Thursday 28 January 2027 · 09:30–11:00
03 Physical access
Look beyond ramps and lifts to consider independence, dignity, movement, participation and how physical environments influence the experience of school.
- Cohort 3: Friday 16 October 2026 · 09:30–11:00
- Cohort 4: Thursday 11 February 2027 · 09:30–11:00
04 Neurodiversity
Consider sensory experience, predictability, communication, routines and environments, with practical strategies that can make school life calmer and more accessible.
- Cohort 3: Friday 6 November 2026 · 09:30–11:00
- Cohort 4: Thursday 4 March 2027 · 09:30–11:00
05 Vision impairment
Explore accessible information, contrast, lighting, navigation and everyday routines from the perspective of blind and partially sighted users.
- Cohort 3: Friday 20 November 2026 · 09:30–11:00
- Cohort 4: Thursday 18 March 2027 · 09:30–11:00
06 Becoming a Champion
Bring the learning together, reflect on what has changed and consider how to keep accessibility visible, practical and connected across the school.
- Cohort 3: Friday 4 December 2026 · 09:30–11:00
- Cohort 4: Thursday 15 April 2027 · 09:30–11:00
Having a teacher who understood me changed my life. It built my confidence and showed me that I am capable.Riley, Multi Schools Council Ambassador
More informed.
More confident.
Confidence has improved for every Champion to date — with nearly half reporting a significant improvement.
Thoughtful. Practical. Impactful.
I’ve really enjoyed the discussions and found the training extremely useful. The videos and activities are a great way of bringing everything together. It’s thoughtful, practical, and genuinely impactful.Anne-Marie O’Dell
SEND Support Assistant · Richmond Hill Primary Academy
We have found these sessions really helpful. There has been some great advice and it has provided us with a space to reflect.Roz Winter
Headteacher · Horninglow Primary School
A very informative, thought-provoking session. We are looking forward to continuing our accessibility journey.Carolyn Buckley
Executive Head · Kirk Sandall Infant & Junior Schools
End-of-programme feedback from our first two 2026 cohorts.
Turning learning into action
Quick actions
Small, achievable improvements turn new understanding into visible progress.
Share the learning
Take ideas back to colleagues and build confidence across your school.
Welcome Wins
Recognise the practical changes making school more accessible for real people.
Learn from people who understand schools — and accessibility.
Access Champions combines education experience, accessibility expertise, practical guidance and lived experience.
Jane Cooper
A government-appointed Disability and Access Ambassador, Jane brings three decades of professional and lived experience to helping organisations put accessibility into practice.
Kate Whittlesey
A nationally respected SEND specialist, Kate brings extensive cross-phase leadership experience to embedding accessibility within teaching, strategy and sustainable whole-school improvement.
Fully funded.
Practical.
Ready to use.
Access Champions is provided at no cost to participating schools, bringing specialist accessibility learning to school leaders, SENCOs and inclusion leads who want to make a practical difference.
Course dates
- Session 0118 September 2026
- Session 022 October 2026
- Session 0316 October 2026
- Session 046 November 2026
- Session 0520 November 2026
- Session 064 December 2026
Course dates
- Session 0114 January 2027
- Session 0228 January 2027
- Session 0311 February 2027
- Session 044 March 2027
- Session 0518 March 2027
- Session 0615 April 2027