What is SENDism?
SENDism is the discriminatory treatment of people with special
educational needs and disabilities by systems, institutions or individuals.
Where is it?
Embedded across systems, institutions and everyday environments, shaping decisions, expectations & experiences.
Why does it exist?
Systems built for one type of person.
When difference is not recognised or understood, unequal treatment follows.
Who is impacted?
People with SEND are all too often disproportionately misunderstood, overlooked, excluded or unsupported.
Discrimination
The unjust or prejudiced treatment, disadvantaging, or exclusion of a person or people because of their defining characteristics.
" even if unintentional - it is still discrimination "
SENDism is so deeply entrenched within institutions, systems and attitudes
that it goes unrecognised and remains unchallenged.
in school, in work, in society, in life
By institution
in how difference is understood
By systems
in how support is provided
By individuals
in how people are treated
SENDism affects wellbeing, opportunity and quality of life.
Its impact is shared across an entire community, extending across a lifetime,
from childhood, through adolescence and long into adulthood;
shaping capability, confidence, belonging, mental health and fair access to support.
MAKE YOUR VOICE VISIBLE
SHARE
your experiences
Help drive change by telling us in
your own words about your experience,
then answer some key questions that
help us identify where, how and why these experiences are happening.
BUILD
the evidence
Individual stories can be dismissed as isolated incidents, but together they
reveal patterns across people, places
and systems — evidence of the
breadth and scale of discrimination.
DRIVE
systemic change
Your anonymous experiences help build the evidence we need to inform allies, build alliances, challenge discriminatory systems and establish the case for change with those who have the power to act.