Disabled people should have freedom, dignity, choice and control over their lives. We want to remove the barriers that stop people from enjoying equal access to full citizenship.
Actions
We:
- are working to enact our delivery plan of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
- fund organisations committed to increasing equality for people with disabilities
- are reforming assessment procedures for disability and ill-health benefits
- providing support to help disabled people into training and employment
- we fund ILF Scotland to administer the Independent Living Fund to enable people to live independently
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we support disabled people running for elected office via the Access to Elected Office Fund Scotland which is administered by Inclusion Scotland
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are improving the lives of those living with Autism and/or a learning disability
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are working to improve social care support
Background
In Scotland, responsibility for issues that affect disabled people are split between issues reserved to the UK Government, and areas that we are responsible for.
We are responsible for most public services including: local councils, education, housing, social work and the NHS in Scotland.
The UK Government is responsible for equality legislation including the Equality Act 2010, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), employment, income and some benefits.
We make equality considerations part of our everyday work. Find out more about: mainstreaming equality.
Statistics and research evidence on disability are crucial in helping us identify issues that need to be addressed. More information on the range of evidence we use is available on the disability pages of the Equality evidence finder.
Bills and legislation
Legislation to protect the rights and welfare of disabled people in Scotland includes:
- the Social Care (Self-directed Support) Act 2013 introduced a new approach that gives adults, children and carers who need social care support more choice and control
- the Disabled Persons' Parking Badges (Scotland) Act 2014 introduced fairer arrangements for disabled people who depend on their Blue Badge to allow them to park close to their destination. It will strengthen the enforcement powers of local authorities to tackle widespread abuse of the scheme
- the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 introduced the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) framework. This helps to ensure that all services and agencies working with disabled children use a co-ordinated, prompt and proportionate approach
- the Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act 2015 came into force in April 2016. It placed the Scottish Welfare Fund into law, and put a duty on each local authority to maintain a welfare fund
- the Education (Scotland) Act 2016 extends children's rights in existing additional support for learning legislation
- the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 improves support for adult and young carers
Contact
Email: ceu@gov.scot – Central Enquiry Unit
Phone: 0300 244 4000 – Central Enquiry Unit
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG