SCOTTISH LABOUR

DISABILITIES MANIFESTO
BOTH VOTES LABOUR

SCOTTISH LABOUR DISABILITIES MANIFESTO

HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE EQUALITY

FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
1 in 5 people in Scotland live with a disability, but they also often live with prejudice and
discrimination. We believe in a Scotland where everyone can excel and believe in a society in
which we stop seeing disability as disadvantage, but instead have mutual respect for different
capabilities.

Disabled People and

Opportunity
Today disabled people are not only
prevented from reaching their full
potential, Scotland is missing out on
their talent. We need to create industry
which is welcoming to, and able to
make adjustments for, disabled people.
Scottish Labour believes that any
individual should be able to gain skills
and access employment fairly.

Disabled People and Public Life

Despite 20% of Scotlands population
self-identifying as disabled, our
democratic structures whether the
Scottish Parliament, our councils or
public boards have never represented
this. In order to fully represent Scotland,
we need to make moves to increase the
diversity of our decision makers.

Our plan

Our plan

We will expect all employers to have

a mental health first aider, in the
same way as they have a statutory
duty to have a qualified first aider for
physical health.

We will support plans for a Scottish

Parliament paid internship scheme
for disabled people.

We will continue to support national

anti-stigma mental illness campaigns.

We will ensure all elected MSPs

and their staff undergo training on
working with, and representing,
disabled people.

We will invest in inclusion activities

rooted within communities for
disabled people to create local
networks of support.

We will continue to support and

invest in organisations which
represent disabled peoples views in
public policy making.

We will review early diagnosis of

learning disabilities to ensure young
people can get the resources and
support they need as soon as
possible without disruption to their
education or life chances.

We will ensure consultations by

government and local authorities
are available in a range of accessible
formats.

SCOTTISH LABOUR DISABILITIES MANIFESTO

Disabled People and the

Economy
The way in which our economy, and
in particular our welfare system
works, currently excludes people with
disabilities. Scottish Labour believes
that Scotland can only succeed when
all its people have equal opportunity to
succeed.

Our plan
We will create Skills Scotland to
deliver more inclusive skills, training
and development putting dignity and
fairness at its core. We will redesign
the Work Programme to deliver
tailored training packages.
We will provide better support
to carers including uplifting and
increasing the flexibility of Carers
Allowance.
We will encourage employers to
accept flexible working requests for
disabled people and for those caring
for a disabled person.
We will invest in support for disabled
people to get into work.
We will support an apprenticeship
scheme for people with disabilities to
get into work within the public sector.
We will review the benefits systems
being devolved to Scotland and,
crucially, develop systems with, rather
than simply for, disabled people.

Disabled People and Justice

Our justice system only works if it is
accessible for all. We know that disabled
people can be targets of hate crime and
may need support to come forward and
seek assistance.
It is vital that this is a foundation of
Scotlands justice system and that
disabled people have confidence in the
justice system.

Our plan
We will ensure that all courts have
the ability to support people with any
disability who are providing evidence
or have been a victim of crime.
We will provide training for Police
Scotland and frontline staff on
supporting disabled people who are
reporting a crime or have committed
a crime.
We will provide early intervention
support for prisoners who develop
mental ill health whilst in prison.

SCOTTISH LABOUR DISABILITIES MANIFESTO

Disabled People and Education

Disabled People and Health

Scottish Labour has put education at

the heart of this election. Our vision for
education is unapologetically ambitious
and we have the highest aspirations for
people with disabilities in education.
Educational outcomes are not good
enough and will only be improved with
the renewed investment that our plans
for fairer taxes will secure.

Our NHS and our social care in Scotland

should be institutions we are proud of,
institutions that are able to deliver world
class care to every individual. We have far
to go before that is a reality for disabled
people. We need change now to create
a social care system that truly supports
those it was created for.

Our plan

Our plan

We will improve schooling and

support for children with learning
disabilities.
We will dedicate support at school
for autism and other spectrum
disorders.
We will provide more classroom
assistants and additional support
staff in schools.
We will protect the education budget
in real terms to give everybody the
chance to develop the skills they
need to compete for the high-tech
jobs of the future.
We will invest in school based
educational psychologists
and community mental health
professionals trained in talking
therapies to widen access.

We will ensure that our health and

social care services are accessible to
everyone, providing the high quality
services that every person needs.
We will establish an implementation
group to work on ending care
charges.
We will guarantee an appointment at
a GP surgery within 48 hours.
We will invest in community mental
health professionals to end the
scandal of missed waiting times.
We will deliver a National
Careworkers Guarantee so that every
careworker benefits from a living
wage, better terms and appropriate
training for the job.

We will begin the process of reversing

the cuts to further education to
ensure routes through education are
available for everyone who needs
them.

SCOTTISH LABOUR DISABILITIES MANIFESTO

Disabled People and Transport

Our transport system isnt meeting the
needs of Scotlands disabled people.
Accessible transport is essential for
opening up Scottish society to disabled
people. Yet 20 years after the passage
of the Disability Discrimination Act many
bus and train services are still not fully
accessible, particularly in rural areas.

Our plan
We will regulate buses ensuring
that they meet higher standards for
connectivity and accessibility.
We will integrate Scotlands transport
system, accessible with one
smartcard ticket for use on all modes
of public transport, the length and
breadth of our country.
We will create a Peoples Scotrail on
co-operative principles and remove
the need for notice to be given by
passengers seeking assistance.
We will keep CalMac in the public
sector.

SCOTTISH LABOUR DISABILITIES MANIFESTO

SCOTTISH LABOUR DISABILITIES MANIFESTO