Via Zoom (an online video conferencing platform) Minutes - Present MSPs Convenor – Colin Beattie MSP (Scottish National Party) Roz McCall MSP (Conservative) Karen Adam MSP (SNP) Annabelle Ewing MSP (SNP) Carol Mochan MSP (Labour) Invited Guests Kevin McGowan, Andrew Godfrey-Meers (Scottish Government) Individual Member Donald Richards Group Members Secretariat and Assistant: Hannah Tweed, Amy White (The ALLIANCE) Janis McDonald (the ALLIANCE) Victoria Bishop-Rowe (AVUK) Philip Gerard (Deaf Action) Jacquie Winning (Forth Valley Sensory Centre) Avril Hepner (BDA Scotland) Rachel Mapson (Queen Margaret University) Isabella Goldie (Deafblind Scotland) Mark Ballard (NDCS Scotland) Teri Devine (RNID) Linda Sharkey (NHS Audiology Scotland, Heads of Service) Deirdre Aitken (Highland Blindcraft Sensory Services) John Ravenscroft (Scottish Sensory Centre) Gary Quinn (Heriot Watt University) Julie Ferguson (Education Institute for Scotland) Brogan Ferguson (RCSLT) Deborah Innes (Scottish Deaf Mental Health Service) Carla Marchbank, (North East Sensory Services) Language Service Professionals Linda Joyce and Niamh Cochrane (BSL/English Interpreters) Gail Richardson and Carol Shedden (Electronic Notetakers) 1 A pologies Mark Griffen MSP (Scottish Labour) Jeremy Balfour MSP (Conservative) Joanne O’Donnell (Sense Scotland) Adele Goman (Edinburgh Napier University) Jim Harrigan (NHS Paediatric Audiology Services) Danny Sweeney (Individual member) Invited Observers Matthew King (Sorenson) Andrew Dewey(Sorenson) Helga McGilp (Sorenson) Mark Hobday (BDA) Tom Lichy (BDA) Brian Shannan (Scottish Sensory Centre) Rachel O’Neill (University of Edinburgh) Amanda McNamara (BATOD) Sue Denny (BATOD UK) Teresa Quail (BATOD) Kirsten Abioye (Lothian Deaf Children’s Club) Agenda item 1 - Welcome and Introductions The Convenor welcomed everyone to the meeting and reminded people to say who they were and what organisation they represented before making contributions.