Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:51 pm on 2 February 2021.
I call for a Welsh Government statement on shopping arrangements for blind and partially sighted people. Welsh Government officials, I understand, are working with supermarkets to improve their coronavirus safety measures. Proposed measures include systems to manage the number of customers in store, more visible signage and hygiene stations, and increased social distancing markers. RNIB Cymru have been approached by a number of their members worried about what these new restrictions might mean for them. Social distancing is near impossible for blind and partially sighted people, and navigating queues and altered store layouts has been extremely challenging for them throughout the whole pandemic. RNIB Cymru are therefore calling for guidance to be issued through supermarkets and essential retailers to make staff aware of the types of assistance and adjustments they can offer to blind and partially sighted customers. Blind and partially sighted customers need to know both how the Welsh Government intends to address the issue of access to supermarkets for them, and what guidance it will be issuing to retailers to raise staff awareness and make sure vulnerable people are not disadvantaged even further. I call for a statement accordingly.