100 | Annual Report 2019 Monitoring visits in 2019 to investigate accessibility for persons with disabilities When Where What 1 October ‘Lillevang Skole, Afd. Skovvang’, Allerød Primary and lower secondary school with integrated special needs classes for pupils with mobility disabilities and often accompanying specific learning difficulties 11 December ‘Sundhedscenter Odsherred’, Nykøbing Sj. Healthcare centre with municipal and regional healthcare facilities The case regarding ‘Sundhedscenter Odsherred’ was still pending at the time of going to press. Conclusion of the theme on accessibility in the teaching and education sector In the period 2014-2019, the Ombudsman had ‘Teaching and education’ as a general theme for the monitoring visits to investigate accessibility for persons with disabilities. The aim of the Ombudsman’s focus on this theme was to highlight the importance of persons with disabilities being able to attend classes and to get an education on an equal footing with other persons. In connection with the theme, members of the Ombudsman’s staff carried out monitoring visits to three primary and lower secondary schools with specialised units for pupils with disabilities, an upper secondary school, a technical school, a teacher training college and a university. In all these schools and other educational institutions, the monitoring teams detected conditions which could and should be improved. The Ombudsman thus gave recommendations on, for instance, one-level accessibility, signposting, layout of disabled toilets, disability parking and accessibility to outdoor areas, such as playgrounds. In general, the Ombudsman has experienced responsiveness from managements of the schools and other educational establishments. It is also the Ombudsman’s view that the monitoring visits have generally given managements a better understanding of the challenges which pupils and students with disabilities face. New theme For some time to come, the Ombudsman will carry out monitoring visits to investigate accessibility in healthcare centres. During these monitoring visits, focus will be on the communal areas of the healthcare centres and on the parts of the healthcare centres which are used by public authorities. In that connection, members of the Ombudsman’s staff carried out a monitoring visit in December 2019 to the healthcare centre in Odsherred (‘Sundhedscenter Odsherred’). Other activities The Ombudsman collaborates with the Danish Institute for Human Rights and the Danish Disability Council to facilitate, protect and monitor the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As part of this collaboration, the Ombudsman held two meetings with these collaborative parties in 2019.