Chamber and committees

From April 2000, the Scottish Executive Inclusion Programme is providing an additional £19 million over two years to assist education authorities in making schools more accessible to children with special educational needs. This funding can be used to ensure effective access to school buildings for children with disabilities, and authorities should use it to supplement use of their mainstream resources for accessibility.

Parents of disabled children can obtain advice in relation to the choice of a school primarily from their education authority. Parents and children can also obtain independent advice from the Enquire helpline, from the Disability Rights Commission, from the organisation Enable or from any other voluntary sector organisation or parents' group specialising in children with special educational needs. Education authorities should offer parents details of any such relevant sources of advice and support.

The Scottish University for Industry (SUfI) is working with the Royal National Institute for the Blind to improve accessibility for prospective Individual Learning Account users. SUfI is developing audio tapes and braille packs of selected documents. It is also working with LEAD (Linking Education and Disability) Scotland to develop its on-going strategy for supplementing existing services and for training of learning advisers in its call centre.

The Scottish University for Industry (SUfI) is currently evaluating the need for support in languages other than English for Individual Learning Accounts and other aspects of its business. If justified it will introduce such support as and when required.

The national marketing of Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) is the responsibility of the Scottish University for Industry (SUfI), who took on this role when it came into being in October 2000. It initially concentrated on providing the required marketing material only in text form but a text telephone is available in its call centre to assist the profoundly deaf.The ILA Centre, which is run by Capita Business Services Ltd, also has a role to play in making information available to the public. It offers a minicom service for people with hearing impairments. Additionally, Capita call centre operators complete forms on behalf of visually-impaired callers. The completed form is sent to the individual for a personal signature or the signature of an authorised person. Large-print versions of the forms can also be produced by Capita on demand.

The national marketing of Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) is the responsibility of the Scottish University for Industry (SUfI), who took on this role when it came into being in October 2000. It initially concentrated on providing the required marketing material only in English. However, some of its call centre staff have non-English language abilities.

In examining services for the Chief Social Work Inspector's Annual Report for 2002, officials will seek up to date information on local progress in implementing the recommendations of Sensing Progress.A working group consisting of representatives from various deafblind organisations and appropriate officials has been set up under the auspices of the Equality Unit. The aim is to look at a positive way forward to identify the various cross-cutting issues facing people with sensory impairment.The working group on certification and registration in relation to people with visual impairment has produced its report, which is now being considered by ministers.

The provision of this service at Glasgow Caledonian University is a matter for the university. I am advised by the university that the service is not being withdrawn.

The information is not held centrally.

The information is not held centrally.