Basically, the intention is laudable because specialized transport involves, as its name suggests, a certain number of constraints. It aims to transport disabled children from their home or a place very close to their home to specialized educational schools in Brussels.
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Communication culpabilisante
In terms of form, on the other hand, this communication is considered catastrophic by the parents concerned and by the Gamp, the group which fights for people with reduced autonomy. In this brochure, it is indicated in the “important instructions” section: “If your child is in crisis or ill, the carer cannot take care of him or her.
“This rule, apparently simple, absolutely does not take into account the realities linked to disability and the reality on the ground”storm Sofia Bennani. “Certain disabilities are accompanied by behavioral problems which can lead to crises for various reasons: a bus delay, environmental problems (a lot of noise or too many people around), the presence of a new companion whom the child does not don’t know.”
For the MP, cThis instruction imposed on parents amounts to telling them: “If your child is disabled and has difficulties, we cannot take care of them.” However, she points out, this service is dedicated to people with disabilities. “Some disabilities are accompanied by behavioral problems. What do we do? Should we put them aside? Are they ostracized from society? This booklet is scandalous and this lack of consideration for children and their families is totally indignified.”
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“Unacceptable”
For Cinzia Agoni, spokesperson and founder of GAMP, this brochure is “simply scandalous”. “It is unacceptable to refuse a child on the grounds that he is difficult to manage. Conveyors must be trained to handle this type of situation. If they refuse a child in crisis during transport, what will they do? It is time for Cocof to invest in appropriate and comprehensive training for its conveyors, and not two-hour sessions which do not prepare anyone for these realities.”
The parents’ anger is all the stronger as it adds to a distress that has only increased in recent years. Already in 2010, the Children’s Rights League launched a petition to ask for better school transportation. In 2018, Unia denounced the mistreatment and suffering caused in this specialized mobility. Since 2022, the Gamp has been collecting multiple testimonies from parents to try to put pressure on the public authorities.
These testimonies were compiled in a document of around fifteen pages that the Gamp sent to us. We can read there, in a transversal way, the same dysfunctions. Buses that don’t come several times a week. Parents who wait in the cold sometimes more than an hour before resigning themselves to accepting that the transport will not come, once again. Drivers who are rude to children, who don’t want to stop at the meeting point or wait a few minutes.
“My son is very sensitive to noise. The slightest sound can trigger a seizure”tells us Ms. Mettioui, single mother of a 13-year-old autistic child. “The bus driver regularly shouts at the children, which only makes the situation worse. One day, while I was waiting outside my house to pick up my son, I saw him arrive in crisis. The driver took the liberty of violently grabbing his arm, which is not only unacceptable but also very dangerous, to unload him directly on the Chaussée de Louvain. He threw my son’s school bag and if I hadn’t been there to pick it up, it would have landed on the sidewalk.”
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Structural problem
Cinzia Agoni denounces a structural problem. The working and financial conditions of drivers and conveyors are so bad that these workers frequently skip days. “Some work elsewhere or call in sick repeatedly. Young people aged 30 are often “sick” after two days of work. Many of them have no specific training and are paid very little. This undervaluation is directly responsible for the lack of professionalism observed on the ground. It is up to Cocof to offer them a decent salary and provide them with quality training.”
As specialized schools are fewer in number than ordinary schools in Brussels and Wallonia, the journeys to get there are often longer, which complicates the situation and makes parents even more dependent on the service.
“Buses and minivans are equipped with devices to accommodate children with reduced mobility or devices that keep children safe during the journey”replies Cocof, which manages this service in the Brussels region. “But this is not medical transport, and when a child is sick or in crisis, the attendants are not able to provide care for this child while ensuring the safety of other children. La Cocof strives to find solutions best suited to the needs of children. Cocof is, however, aware of the need to continually improve communication with parents.”
