Who are we?

Disability Equality in Education (DEE) is

is a small non-governmental organisation that provides training, consultancy and resources to improve the position of disabled people in the education system and all public services.
DEE provides training for Disability Equality and Inclusion delivered by experienced disabled trainers who draw on their personal experience of impairment to enable participants to gain transformative insights into the barriers of environment, attitude and organisation, which create disability. Our work is based on the Social Model of Disability and the empowerment of disabled children, young people and adults. DEE views the development of inclusive education as a human right. This ‘social model’ approach lies at the heart of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities Up to date with legislation and its implications for all organisations, DEE can help your organisation develop Disability and Equality Action Plans and implement inclusive practice and train all your staff in disability equality. DEE has trained over 90,000 education staff in 140 Local Authorities with over 90% of participants rating it as good or excellent.

DEE in recent years have provided highly regarded training in Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Russia x 2, Cambodia, Argentina, Malaysia, Mauritius, Dubai,  USA, Canada, India x 3, Korea, across Europe, South Africa to representatives from 8 Southern African countries, as a DFID funded, capacity building project with SAFOD and at CHOGM Uganda (2007). Currently, DEE is seeking to scale up its training on implementing Article 24 of the UN Convention-Education with partners in South countries and is working with Perspecktiva to introduce inclusive education in 5 Russian cities on an EU funded project.

Our director, Richard Rieser, attended 3 Ad Hoc Committees of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and took a lead in arguing for & framing Article 24 on Education.  DEE is very keen to develop training to develop capacity to advocate and implement Article 24 on Inclusive Education around the world. DEE is currently an active member of the UNCCC -United Nations Convention Campaign Coalition Ratification without Reservations – a UK campaign to get the government to ratify the convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities without reservations.

Consultancy contracts include English Heritage, Comic Relief, British Film Institute, Council for Disabled Children, Scope, Barnardos, British Museum, The British Council, SENJIT, Trade Union Congress, Department for Education, Qualification and Curriculum Authority, Wolverhampton Disability Network, European Disability Forum, Fundacione ONCE, The Institute of Child Health, Save the Children, National Resource Centre for Inclusion, Mumbai, Greek Disability Council; Department for Children Schools and Families, Commonwealth Secretariat.

DEE provides resources to raise disability and inclusion at all levels of the education system. DEE writes and produces a variety of resources including a range of course books, Disability Equality in the Classroom a Human Rights Issue(1992), Altogether Better (1994), Count Me In  with Channel 4 (2000), Making it Happen with Council for Disabled Children ( 2002) , Disabling Imagery(with BFI (2004), The Reasonable Adjustment Project for DfES(UK) 2006, Real People Real Lives (2005), All Equal All Different :a resource pack for Early Years & KS1 Schools(2004) Implementing Inclusive Education a Commonwealth Perspective 2008 (for Commonwealth Secretariat).

DEE collaborates with many organisations to achieve its goals in the UK and around the world.  We are part of the Inclusion UK Consortium and the Coalition for Disability Rights in Europe.(Link to Inclusion UK page)

DEE is a disabled-led, not-for-profit company and charity. Set up in 1992 DEE is a Registered Charity, Charity No. 1107574 and Company Limited by Guarantee  No. 04421119 and is run by Richard Rieser, Director and managed by a 11 person Board of Trustees the majority of whom are disabled people.

DEE believes: "This is a human rights issue about equality in the classroom - not just an issue of special needs."