Manifesto for Equality Now (Holyrood 2021)

February 22, 2021

Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) launches Manifesto for Equality

GDA have published their manifesto for Equality, which asks mainstream political parties to consider the needs and rights of disabled people in the upcoming Scottish Elections.

They state:

‘Disabled people face barriers, inequality and poorer outcomes across all areas of life. Poverty, prejudice, and lack of understanding prevent us from accessing vital services and information;
accessible housing, transport, environments; equal opportunities in education, employment; civic participation and social connections’.

They highlight 5 key areas for change, including:

1. Overhaul Equalities and Human Rights Infrastructure:

This includes incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (UNCRPD) Scots Law including rights to housing, social care, independent living and participation.
Establishing an Office of the Disability Commissioner
Investing in Funding for Disabled people led organisations
Strengthening the Public Sector Equality Duty

2. Deliver Health and Social Care which uphold rights and advance equality:

Urgently fast track disabled people’s access to vital public services cut or reduced during COVID-19:
Scrap the care tax and re-open the Independent Living Fund
Resource and co-design a National Social Care System
Embed the Right to an Adequate Home into health and social care planning
Cultivate a ‘No Wrong Door’ approach across health, social care, housing and other public services

3. Tackle disability poverty and employment gap:

Co-design urgent actions to stop the Disability Employment Gap widening further
Overhaul employability supports
Embed targets and best practice commitments for recruiting and retaining more disabled workers
Urgently uprate Disability Benefits in response to COVID
Create Child Poverty Targets
Urgently tackle inequality in young disabled people’s access to education

4. Invest in Social Connections and empowered communities:

Invest in inclusive, holistic community supports – such as peer support networks
Equality-proof all Place-based approaches
Eradicate digital exclusion – provide broadband as a universal service
Co-design a new approach to prevent and eradicate Hate Crime and harassment

5. Co-design an Equal Scotland: embed lived experience:

Embed Rights to participation in National Performance Framework as lever for meaningful involvement e.g. budget
Urgently co-design Emergency resilience plans
Put Equality and Human Rights at the heart of local participatory decision making.
Shift the balance of power by embedding values-based leadership and a learning culture

You can see a copy of the Manifesto for Equality Now (Holyrood 2021) here