Speech coalition tentatively welcomes accessible Parliament report

Image

A new report setting out recommendations for improving accessibility at the House of Commons is welcomed by the Inclusive Parliament Coalition. But concerns have been raised that more needs to be done to address the needs of people with speech and language differences.

Just over a year ago, a Westminster inquiry was set up to explore how accessibility can be improved at the House of Commons.

The Inclusive Parliament Coalition, a group of over thirty organisations including STAMMA, gave evidence to the Modernisation Committee, the body carrying out the inquiry. They explained how debates and procedures within Westminster can exclude and present barriers to people with communication disabilities and differences.

Last month, the committee published its report, making a series of recommendations for improvements to the physical environment, procedures, practices and communications within Westminster. Concluding that disabled MPs, staff and visitors face unacceptable negative impacts, the committee said the report was "the beginning of making Parliament a more accessible place to work" and called for "a new approach to accessibility for the House of Commons".

The Coalition responds

In response, the Inclusive Parliament Coalition has welcomed the report but expressed concern that it doesn't go far enough regarding accessibility for people with speech and language needs. For instance, it doesn’t address changes to Parliamentary debates, which can be hostile for people with disfluent speech.

The positives

The coalition was happy that evidence from Gillian Rudd, the former STAMMA trustee who gave evidence in person at a hearing last November, is quoted throughout the report. It also welcomes several recommendations, including:

• The creation of an External Accessibility Advisory Group, allowing organisations representing disabled people the opportunity to provide feedback on accessibility challenges in Parliament.
• Improved accessibility audits.
• Mandatory accessibility training for managers and senior staff.
• A communications campaign to shift culture.
• Improvements to 'reasonable adjustments' for MPs – ways their job can be adapted to accommodate their extra needs.
• Expanding and developing information resources.

The negatives

However, the coalition has expressed concern that the report lacks details, namely that:

• communication accessibility is not explicitly embedded in the definitions, frameworks and systems
• limited attention is given to culture and behaviour in debates, including time limits and speaking rules that can make parliamentary participation inaccessible for MPs who sign or use augmentative or alternative communication.

What's next?

The coalition has sent an official response to the committee, expressing its concerns and urging them to incorporate the missing areas into the next phase of work. It said, "We agree that the report marks a significant moment, but must emphasise that its success hinges on whether communication accessibility is treated as essential, not optional".

catch up with the back story

• MP candidate withdraws after stammering abuse
• Coalition calls for an inclusive Parliament
• Inclusive Parliament Coalition's statement.