How to make your business SEND inclusive

Find out how to offer inclusive services to children and young people with SEND

There are many Essex businesses that support children and young people aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

These businesses are listed in our directory of services on this website.

Some of them offer SEND-specific support and others are SEND inclusive. Learn how you could be part of that.

What SEND inclusive means

Making your business SEND inclusive means being aware of people’s needs and being able to offer support where possible. This could include supporting sensory needs, communication needs or providing specialist equipment for disabilities.

Benefits of being SEND inclusive

Being more inclusive can open up your business to more customers. Often changes you make to support disabled customers and those with special educational needs make things better for all your customers.

Being more inclusive can be a way to give back to your community and earn your customers’ trust.

If your business offers a SEND inclusive service or activity which fits the criteria below, it can be listed on the Essex Local Offer and reach a wider audience.

Types of businesses we can include on the Local Offer

To be listed on this website, your service must:

  1. have a specific offer for children and young people aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or their families

  2. be based in Essex or can be reasonably accessed by families in Essex

How to make your business more SEND inclusive

There are many ways your business can meet the needs of children and young people with SEND and their families. This includes the space you have, the way you interact with them and more.

This is not an exhaustive list. The important thing is to listen to customers with additional needs, gather feedback and learn how you can improve their experience.

Be clear about what you can offer, so your customers know if your service can work for them or their children. For example, Colchester Museum offer an extensive list on their website of what’s available for visitors with SEND.

Being SEND inclusive goes beyond the bare minimum, such as wheelchair access. It means considering a range of needs, including but not limited to the following.

Improving your physical space

Many venues offer features such as ramps, railings and accommodation for assistance dogs. To make your space more SEND inclusive, you can go above and beyond with things like:

  • a Changing Places facility
  • different types of seating to choose from
  • a reception desk with a lowered section to better serve wheelchair users

Meeting sensory needs

Some of your customers may become overwhelmed by sensory input such as sounds, lights and smells. Others may want more sensory stimulus to help them pay attention. To help support your customers you could:

  • dim bright lights
  • turn off ‘visually busy’ signs
  • create a quiet area
  • turn off music or lower the volume
  • provide noise cancelling headphones
  • avoid strong smells like paint and air freshener
  • cover shiny surfaces
  • provide sensory toys, such as fidget toys, liquid sensory timers or wobble balance boards

Inclusive communication

Some of your customers may need to communicate differently. You can help by providing:

  • clear labels and large text on signs
  • concise, practical greetings and instructions
  • picture exchange communication system (PECS) cards
  • a live speech-to-text app
  • a hearing loop

SEND sessions

Some businesses have specific SEND sessions that people can attend. This can include:

  • ‘quieter’ sessions where sounds that are usually on are turned down or off
  • sessions with adjusted lighting. This could mean turning off flashing lights and spotlights, or turning up lights in dark areas
  • play sessions where children with SEND can make friends
  • relaxed film screenings with audio description and subtitles on

Who to contact for information about becoming SEND inclusive

There are organisations and charities that can help your business become more SEND inclusive.

For example, there is a free guide to getting started on the Business Disability Forum website.

You can access support with disability inclusion for businesses on the Scope website.

How to get your business listed on the local offer when you’re ready

Once your business is SEND inclusive, here’s how you can get listed on this website.