Submitted by Jane Williams on Wednesday 15th October 2025
Published on Thursday 20th November 2025
Current status: Open
Open until: Wednesday 20th May 2026
Current Signatures: 44
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Relevant Departments
Tagged with
Access ~ Autistic ~ Bodies ~ Children ~ Create ~ Declare ~ Denying ~ Disabled ~ Disabled People ~ Ensure ~ Equal ~ Equality Act ~ Equality Act 2010 ~ Expected ~ Extend ~ Justices ~ Legal Aid ~ Offered ~ Officers ~ Parent ~ Public bodies ~ Reasonable ~ Request ~ Reviewed ~ Standards ~ system
Review support provided to autistic parents involved in SEND tribunals
We think autistic parents are currently denied equal access to justice when representing their children in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal, and call on the Government to review this as autistic parents deserve equal access to justice when advocating for their children.
The Equality Act 2010 requires public bodies to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. However, autistic parents in SEND proceedings are often expected to manage complex legal cases without adjustments. We want a review of the system to include considering what reasonable adjustments can be offered to parents who declare a disability, and how tribunals can proactively identify and provide these adjustments rather than relying on parents to repeatedly request them.
We also call on the Government to extend legal aid to cover all SEND tribunals where the parent or carer is disabled and to create a SEND Equality Officer role to oversee the process to ensure it meets standards for accessibility, and that tribunals comply.
If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.
216.73.216.219 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:58:30 +0100
