Collaboration of Disability Equality Plan between charities and Scottish Government collapses - Third Force News (TFN)

29 October 2024
by Niall Christie

Disabled People’s Organisations cited a lack of faith in the government’s approach. 

Leading disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) in Scotland have ended collaboration with the Scottish Government over the country’s Disability Equality Plan. 

Disability Equality Scotland, Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA) and Inclusion Scotland slammed a “sham” process of co-production which has led to a “weak” and “diluted” set of proposals. 

The charities said the 20-month long process had started optimistically but has now collapsed, warning that the SNP government has failed to deliver on promises. 

Tressa Burke, GDA’s chief executive, told the Disability News Service that after having seen a draft version of the plan, the charities were unable to endorse it because it offered “no commitment to meaningful action and no progress towards disabled people’s equality”.

She said: “After 20 months we are really struggling to justify involvement in the working group because the plan is weak, it’s not got meaningful action, it’s really diluted in ambition… and it’s all apparently been justified because of resources.

“We weren’t asking for the world. We were asking for a progressive plan with steps.

“We are angry. Our members are raging, they feel like they have been led up the garden path.

“We are shocked and we feel that disabled people have been betrayed and we feel in turn that we would be betraying our members if we went along with it.

“I think it’s really clear that every time there is a social or economic challenge, disabled people are relegated to the bottom.

“We are at the back of the queue, at the bottom of the pile, and it’s shocking and it’s shameful.”

The three charities have been given the support of other DPOs, including Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living, Self Directed Support Scotland, and the mental health network VOX Scotland.

A two-week campaign is now underway to put further pressure on the government - including calling a meeting with First Minister John Swinney. 

The efforts - #DisabledPeopleDemandJustice – asks for justice and equality for disabled people. 

Scottish social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told Disability News Service: “We recognise the multiple barriers disabled people face every day and we are working collaboratively to tackle them.

“This week, we launched our pension age disability payment, which will be worth between £290 and £434 a month to people of state pension age and over who are disabled or have a long-term health condition.

“We are committing a record £6.1 billion for benefits expenditure this year – including £300 million additional investment in adult disability payment, and the reopening of the Independent Living Fund will help up to 1,000 more disabled people to access the support needed to lead independent lives.

“We continue to call on the UK government to introduce a social tariff for those who need the most support with energy costs and we have established a working group, which includes disabled people’s organisations, to help demonstrate how this policy could work.

“The Disability Equality Plan is the first phase of a wider strategy.

“We have made difficult decisions to ensure that what is set out in the plan can be achieved in the challenging economic situation Scotland faces.

“It has been developed with dedicated input from disabled people’s organisations.

“The Scottish government recognises the aspirations of disabled people and their organisations lie beyond what could be achieved in this first phase of the plan.

“We greatly value their commitment to continue to work with us as we lay the necessary foundations to ensure accountability and pave the way for systemic change.”