Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help local authorities ensure that visually impaired people are able to safely access public spaces in the context of social distancing requirements.

We published the Safer Public Places Guidance to provide owners and operators with a framework to support social distancing in public places. This guidance reminds owners and operators of public spaces to consider the particular needs of those with protected characteristics such as visually impaired people.

Owners and operators are advised to carefully consider social distancing guidelines in public spaces, emphasise the latest government advice on safety procedures to visitors and provide clear and concise information to the public on how to adhere to social distancing. ?This could?include?providing?information?on changes for visually impaired visitors and how they can continue to access public spaces in a safe way.?When providing information, we encourage owners/operators to consider providing alternative types of communications with consideration to those with visual and other impairments.

Local authorities are subject to the Equality Act and the Public Sector Equality duty will apply to decisions relating to these measures.