§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what disability awareness training is currently provided for his Department's staff, with particular reference to assisting partially-sighted or blind people; and what proposals he has for future training. [60999]
§ Mr. TimmsEach Agency develops its own programme of training. They have always included in their programmes training for awareness of disabilities which has included awareness of the difficulties faces by partially-sighted and blind people. The profile of this training was raised when the Disability Discrimination Act 1996 came into force.
Although staff training in most of the Department's Agencies to assist partially-sighted or blind people is encompassed in their general disabilities training, for the future the Benefits Agency and Contributions Agency intend to commit themselves to the ten steps of the Charter "See It Right" issued by the Royal National Institute for the Blind.