6. How is the Welsh Government ensuring support for voluntary groups working with the deaf community? OQ55482

Volunteers across Wales continue to play a vital role in enabling people to stay safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to support voluntary groups, including those working with the deaf community, £11 million has been made available through our third sector resilience fund.

I thank the Minister for that response. For the record, my sister is profoundly deaf, and I am also president of the Swansea Hard of Hearing Group. COVID has had a serious effect on the deaf community, as masks stop the ability of deaf people to lip-read, or even know that somebody is talking to them. What is being done to promote sign language and sign language interpreters to support the deaf community?

I thank Mike Hedges for that important question. Just to give examples of how we've targeted our funding: £1.1 million of support given to disability organisations, including the Cardiff Deaf Centre. The Welsh Government, of course, has ensured the presence of BSL interpretation at our COVID-19 news conferences, alongside a range of accessible formats on key correspondence through the pandemic, such as BSL videos for our Keep Wales Safe campaign.

But, we've also set up an accessible communications group, advising Welsh Government. The First Minister mentioned the fact we've had many meetings of the disability equality forum. We've also looked at the impact of face coverings, and, of course, that was mentioned earlier on in terms of the impact for autistic people.

So, it is crucial that we listen to the people who are impacted in terms of COVID-19 and ensure that we get that feedback, and then take action accordingly and raise awareness, as the First Minister said, because that's crucial for those who are encountering and engaging and supporting and enabling deaf people to participate fully in society, community and the workplace.