To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the compliance of covid-19 guidance with accessible information standards.
Answered on
19 November 2020
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 107140 on 21 October 2020.
It is vital public health information in this pandemic is accessible to all. Covid-19 guidance is provided in alternative formats including Easy Read, British Sign Language and Audio. Covid-19 press briefings with BSL are published on the 10 Downing Street and UK Government social media channels. The BBC News Channel has live signing for the briefings and has been made available across the UK via Freeview, cable, satellite and online.
We have also used publicly held contact details to communicate with those who may need support, and our on the ground teams have directly spoken to local residents. The Government Digital Service has published detailed accessibility standards and guidelines to help departmental channel owners improve content. We will continue to review this and all Covid-19 communication through regular feedback sessions with disability charities.