Clause 10
6:00 pm
Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole, Liberal Democrat)
The two amendments apply to framework specifications. Amendment 227 states that specifications must meet the requirements of the disability accessibility standard. Amendment 228 defines the disability accessibility standard. These are probing amendments so I will not press for a vote.
We want reassurances from the Government on the record that frameworks and assessments will be accessible for disabled apprentices. The Bill provides some wonderful potential opportunities for people with disabilities, but it is obviously important that wherever possible, assessment and examination procedures are fully inclusive of disabled apprentices. Reasonable adjustments such as certificate indications or enhancements should be considered only as a last resort.
The amendment was suggested by the Royal National Institute of Blind People. It is particularly anxious that there is recognition of how serous this issue is and of how inequalities for disabled people could be intensified for those who wished to become apprentices, if the framework and assessment procedures are not inclusively designed.