Braille translation services are available in publicly operated prisons through the national translation and transcription contract, which is currently held by thebigword Group Limited. Privately managed prisons must have arrangements in place using either this national contract or equivalent arrangements.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.

Defra has met with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to discuss options for improving accessible labelling on food products. Defra is also working with stakeholder groups, including the Business Expert Group on Food Standards and Labelling (BExG), which provides structured dialogue between government, industry and enforcement bodies on food labelling, and with GS1 as they progress work on the transition from traditional barcodes to QR codes. This transition has the potential to support consumers with visual impairments to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code.

We are aware that some retailers are beginning to offer braille on food products. Through the Food Compositional Standards and Labelling (FCSL) Common Framework, officials across the four nations are coordinating on the accessibility of food labelling, including QR codes and braille. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regularly provide updates on its work exploring the use of braille for key information such as product name and use‑by date. The Government is interested in the findings of this work, including how it may impact businesses, associated costs and potential alternative approaches to accessibility labelling to aid all consumers.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.

Defra has met with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to discuss options for improving accessible labelling on food products. Defra is also working with stakeholder groups, including the Business Expert Group on Food Standards and Labelling (BExG), which provides structured dialogue between government, industry and enforcement bodies on food labelling, and with GS1 as they progress work on the transition from traditional barcodes to QR codes. This transition has the potential to support consumers with visual impairments to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code.

We are aware that some retailers are beginning to offer braille on food products. Through the Food Compositional Standards and Labelling (FCSL) Common Framework, officials across the four nations are coordinating on the accessibility of food labelling, including QR codes and braille. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regularly provide updates on its work exploring the use of braille for key information such as product name and use‑by date. The Government is interested in the findings of this work, including how it may impact businesses, associated costs and potential alternative approaches to accessibility labelling to aid all consumers.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.

Defra has met with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to discuss options for improving accessible labelling on food products. Defra is also working with stakeholder groups, including the Business Expert Group on Food Standards and Labelling (BExG), which provides structured dialogue between government, industry and enforcement bodies on food labelling, and with GS1 as they progress work on the transition from traditional barcodes to QR codes. This transition has the potential to support consumers with visual impairments to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code.

We are aware that some retailers are beginning to offer braille on food products. Through the Food Compositional Standards and Labelling (FCSL) Common Framework, officials across the four nations are coordinating on the accessibility of food labelling, including QR codes and braille. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regularly provide updates on its work exploring the use of braille for key information such as product name and use‑by date. The Government is interested in the findings of this work, including how it may impact businesses, associated costs and potential alternative approaches to accessibility labelling to aid all consumers.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.

Defra has met with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to discuss options for improving accessible labelling on food products. Defra is also working with stakeholder groups, including the Business Expert Group on Food Standards and Labelling (BExG), which provides structured dialogue between government, industry and enforcement bodies on food labelling, and with GS1 as they progress work on the transition from traditional barcodes to QR codes. This transition has the potential to support consumers with visual impairments to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code.

We are aware that some retailers are beginning to offer braille on food products. Through the Food Compositional Standards and Labelling (FCSL) Common Framework, officials across the four nations are coordinating on the accessibility of food labelling, including QR codes and braille. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regularly provide updates on its work exploring the use of braille for key information such as product name and use‑by date. The Government is interested in the findings of this work, including how it may impact businesses, associated costs and potential alternative approaches to accessibility labelling to aid all consumers.

Defra maintains regular engagement with food retailers on a range of issues, including labelling and improving accessibility requirements for all consumers.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible, clearly legible and where appropriate indelible, in addition to there being a required minimum font size for mandatory information.

We are aware of moves by some retailers to provide information on food in braille format, and the government is interested in seeing how this works.

We know there are other exciting possibilities, including the use of mobile phone apps and QR codes via which consumers with visual impairments may be able to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label.

Braille labelling has not been a specific focus to date. We continue to explore how food information can be made more accessible, including through wider conversations with industry and stakeholders representing consumers with disabilities, such as the Royal National Institute for Blind (RNIB).

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Public Bill Office has not previously explored providing amendment documents in braille and there are currently no provisions in the House of Lords for braille documents for bills or amendments.

The House of Lords Communications Office have previously produced non-legislative braille documents for members of the House on request, most recently in 2019. They have not had any requests for braille documents since 2019.

The amendment documents from the Public Bill Office are produced at pace with regular addition of new content, meaning that accessible electronic documents may offer the most reliable way for users to keep up with the pace of production. The Public Bill Office, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Digital Service, has prioritised work to improve the accessibilty of the Bills Webpages. Specific actions have been focused on improving accessibilty for those who use screen readers and other assistive technologies.

The House of Lords Administration will continue to review the accessibilty of its documents more generally and will keep the provision of braille documents under review.

Braille translation services are available in publicly operated prisons through the national translation and transcription contract, which is currently held by thebigword Group Limited. Privately managed prisons must have arrangements in place using either this national contract or equivalent arrangements.

Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has Special Educational Needs, including visual impairment, gets the special educational provision they need.

All schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.

To teach a class of pupils with sensory impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI). Teachers working in an advisory role to support these pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification. The MQSI provides sensory impairment teachers with the specialist expertise needed to ensure pupils with a visual impairment are supported effectively, including modifying, producing and adapting teaching and learning materials in an appropriate medium, such as braille or enlarged/modified text, to make them accessible and training to others in how this is done.

The Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnification built into them. Customers are able to access a wide range of services which can support their needs such as braille and large print documents being made available upon request.

The Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnification built into them. Customers are able to access a wide range of services which can support their needs such as braille and large print documents being made available upon request.

The Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnification built into them. Customers are able to access a wide range of services which can support their needs such as braille and large print documents being made available upon request.

The Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnification built into them. Although Jobcentres do not offer the use of refreshable braille displays, customers are able to access a wide range of services which can support their needs such as braille and large print documents being made available upon request.

Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses and service providers, including restaurants, already have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

The anticipatory duty requires them to consider the disadvantage(s) that may be experienced by a group of disabled people - for example, those who are blind - rather than an individual disabled person and ensure that relevant adjustments are put in place before they might actually be needed, so that people with such disabilities would not be put at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled service users when using facilities or services.

Such adjustments should address the communication needs of deaf and blind customers and could include the provision of auxiliary aids, such as menus made available in Braille. We believe that a reasonableness test is appropriate, as individual circumstances will differ.

The department acts in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, including having regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty. The department will continue to have due regard to the Act and the Duty in considering what format to provide future materials in.

The department is committed to making its consultation on the SEND and AP green paper fully accessible to all. This enables anyone to have a say on the proposals in the SEND and AP system.

The department will be publishing an easy read and British Sign Language version of the green paper alongside our other accessible versions in April 2022. This is to further support those with vision, motor, cognitive, or learning difficulties and deafness or impaired hearing to engage fully in the consultation. A braille version of the green paper is also available by contacting: SENDreview.consultation@education.gov.uk.

Children with vision impairment may be vulnerable children, such as those with education health and care plans, and as such are strongly encouraged to attend school. Braille, large print materials and other essential alternative learning formats should be provided by schools as normal. Where pupils with vision impairment are not in school, we expect schools to provide suitable remote learning materials, which could include braille, large print materials and other essential alternative learning formats.

We are also funding National Star College to provide specialist online training on assistive technology to strengthen remote education provision for pupils with special educational needs.

All guidance, statements and public information released by the Government are readily available to read online information on COVID-19 from Public Health England and the Department is translated into British Sign Language videos can be found at the following link:

https://www.signhealth.org.uk/

Resources for COVID-19 are currently available in nine other languages to ensure that support and advice can be given to non-English speakers. These languages are Polish, Welsh, Arabic (Modern), French, Simplified Chinese (Mandarin), Traditional Chinese (Cantonese), Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, and Portuguese.

NHS England’s Accessible Information Standard sets out the National Health Service’s obligations around providing information in an accessible format for people who use British Sign Language and braille.