News

The lack of summer holiday activities for disabled children is being exacerbated by the "pot-luck" provision of local authority-funded holiday schemes, says a Barnardo's report published this week.

Author Neera Shahna said that long-term government funding was needed so that local authorities could provide, and be held accountable for, their leisure and play facilities.

With a holiday scheme costing more than three times as much for a child needing one-to-one support, parents of disabled children have to meet the shortfall or cope with as little as two-days' funded provision.


Disabled children are often excluded from mainstream provision - such as local leisure facilities - because of inaccessibility and health and safety fears.

Shahna said: "When term-time support services [for the disabled child] end, the summer is a time of great pressure for the whole family." 

- Postcards from Home: the Experience of Disabled Children in the School Holidays is available from: www.barnardos.org.uk/newsandevents/media/postcards.jsp