§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three years to(a) produce public information in alternative formats for visually impaired people and (b) publicise the availability of accessible information amongst visually impaired people.
§ Miss WiddecombePublic information material in alternative formats for visually impaired people is produced for, and on behalf of, the Department from a wide variety of sources within its area of responsibility, including the Employment Service, training and enterprise councils, external contractors providing assessment, rehabilitation and training, and the Department itself. When access to work was launched, many organisations 431W of and for disabled people were contacted directly with details of the programme, and offered materials in standard text, Braille and audio tape. Cost information for the production of that material is not available centrally.
Dissemination methods vary according to what is appropriate to the item. For example, ES materials are made available to visually impaired people through jobcentre and placing, assessment and counselling team services, and through periodic disability advertising campaigns. TECs, local enterprise companies and contractors for rehabilitation and training make local arrangements to publicise materials. There is no comprehensive information centrally available on the costs of publicising the availability of accessible information.