AQW 24938/22-27

Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim

Tabled Date: 24/03/2025
Answered On Date: 03/04/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy how her Department is ensuring that digital and technological skills training programmes are fully accessible to disabled individuals, including those with sensory and cognitive impairments.

Answer:

My Department offers a range of skills programmes, many of which include measures to support individuals who face additional barriers, including disabled individuals with sensory and cognitive impairments, to enable them to build skills and qualifications. Targeted support is provided by Higher Education (HE) providers through financial support and interventions including reasonable adjustments for, amongst others, those with a disability (physical, sensory or learning). HE providers seek to ensure their digital and technological skills programmes are fully accessible to all students. My Department also provides Disabled Students' Allowance to students in HE who have extra course-related expenses as a direct result of a disability, mental health condition, or specific learning difficulty whilst a ring-fenced budget of £4.5m, per annum, is provided through the Additional Support Fund to Further Education colleges. This support ensures that the range of provision available is fully accessible to students with disabilities, including those with sensory and cognitive impairments.