5. What steps is the Commission taking to ensure that the Assembly estate is accessible to all visitors? OAQ51621

The Commission is committed to ensuring access for all to the Assembly estate and we do continuously review accessibility to all buildings. Equality impact assessments are made before any refurbishment or improvements are carried out, and we always observe legislative requirements and strive for best practice.

Thank you, Commissioner. In 2015, the National Assembly committed to becoming a dementia-friendly organisation. This commitment sent out a strong message to people with dementia and their carers that they are both warmly welcome and able to visit this estate. It stated that Dementia Friends sessions would be delivered to all public-facing staff, equipping them to respond to external visitors living with dementia. Further to this, I believe that 21 Assembly Members and their staff have become dementia friends. But I believe we should aspire to be the first dementia-friendly Parliament in the world, if all 60 Members were to complete the training. Can the Commissioner provide an update on progress towards ensuring the Assembly estate and staff are actively fulfilling its role as a dementia-friendly Parliament?

I can, but I can't make people sign up. So, as Commissioner I will join you in your plea for Assembly Members to become dementia friendly, because I think that will not only help us here, but it will help us when we're engaging with people, wherever that might be. There has been a conversation that has started with the Commission's diversity and inclusion team. They've engaged with a dementia engagement and empowerment project to look at developing a guide for visitors with dementia. It's a similar guide to those that were already produced for visitors with autism. It's about being aware. For example, the scanners that beep might be a little bit disconcerting to some people who might not understand that. So, they're quite excited and they're very, very engaged in trying to look at what it is that they can do.

There has been, of course—the diversity and inclusion team have delivered Dementia Friends information sessions highlighting what it feels like to live with dementia, and the small ways that people can help, and how to turn that understanding into action, because that's really what we want to back. The sessions, as you know, are advertised to all Assembly Commission staff, Assembly Members and Assembly Member support staff each year during the Commission's diversity and inclusion week. So, we are moving forward. I'm sure that there is progress that we can make, and I'm sure that we will take any advice that people are able to give us to help us achieve our aim of becoming a dementia-friendly organisation with all the Members, hopefully, signed up.

Thank you. The next question is to be answered by the Llywydd, Elin Jones, as the Commissioner for communications and engagement. Question 6, Mandy Jones.