Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research her Department has conducted into improving accessibility for blind people in further education colleges.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department regularly engages with a range of stakeholders to ensure that the needs of students with disabilities (including visual impairments) are understood, barriers can be addressed and support put in place.

The department collects data on learner characteristics, participation and achievements. This is regularly published online: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2023-24.

Through the department’s grants and contracts within the further education and research sectors, we receive valuable information on the experiences of students with visual impairments. An example of this is the Accessibility in Further Education 2022 report from the Thomas Pocklington Trust, which can be accessed here: https://asset.nasen.org.uk/accessibility_in_further_education_-_2022_all-able.pdf. The report explores blind and partially sighted student access to information in further education. We also use the information provided from the ‘What Works in SEND’ resources, which is accessible here: https://whatworks-send.org.uk/. These types of research are useful as we are developing policy areas which will ensure that education is accessible for all.