Home > What's new >
I will be giving an overview on disability issues from the Scottish Executive perspective. When Henry McLeish took over from Donald Dewar, he talked about Donald Dewar’s aim to tackle Social Inclusion and poverty. All people are different. We need a greater understanding of these diversities to help make policies better. Equal Opportunities is the founding issue and is high on the political agenda. Equality of opportunity for all.
There is an Equal opportunities committee in the Scottish Executive. Every Bill has to state what its impact will be on Equal Opportunities. There is a minister for Equal Opportunities. These are powerful tools for change.
Jackie Baillie wants to challenge discrimination and create partnerships. There are two strategies; Equality and Social Inclusion. There is twice as much unemployment amongst people with disabilities.
How can we change everyday policy, for example in health. We have to change day-to-day thinking, “mainstream thinking” – policy is for people, to improve lives for the people of Scotland.
Dialogue and consultation is the way to change but change will not be immediate.
I am using a diagram of a triangle to explain how change can take place. Each corner of the triangle represents; everything, now and agreed.
You can only ever have two of the three. So you can have everything and now but it won’t be agreed. Or you can have everything agreed but it won’t happen now.
The Scottish Executive has been doing a lot of work on BSL and the issues around communication. Deafblind Scotland has been involved in this work, together with other deaf organisations, it is hoped this work will continue.