In December, the Scottish Government opened the consultation on their Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill.
The consultation on the Bill is open until April 21, 2024.
You can learn more about the Government's consultation by visiting their website here:
Rights Now! is a campaign led by people with a learning disability, powered by Enable and kindly supported by Acorns To Trees
"Enable members have campaigned for decades for a society where they have equal rights and opportunities in Scotland.
As a member of Enable for over twenty years, I know how much this means to our members. Our RightsNow! report and the results of our survey - which so many of them took part in - show how far we have to go.
Too many people with learning disabilities still don’t get fair chances at school or in work, and too many feel isolated and not truly included in their community.
We need to change this, and that is why I’m proud to be Convener of Enable’s Scottish Council as we launch this important campaign for our Rights Now!"
RightsNow! is powered by Enable and led by people with a learning disability!
Hear their stories and why they are campaigning with us for a Bill to protect the rights of people with learning disabilities in Scotland.
We have developed a collection of factsheets about learning disability in each local authority in Scotland.
Click below to download!
After a survey of over 620 people with learning disabilities, their family carers and people that support them - in May 2023 - RightsNow! launched asking for people with a learning disability in Scotland to have their rights protected and upheld.
In September 2022 the Scottish Mental Health Law Review’s final report was published.
Enable launched their My Own Front Door Campaign, asking for people with a learning disability to have the right to live in a home of their choice, in the community they want, close to the people they love.
The Scottish Government also published their Coming Home Implementation report was published in February 2022; it was produced by a working group set up in March 2020. It set out that its vision was “the human rights of everybody with complex care needs are respected and protected and they are empowered to live their lives, the same as everyone else”
In 2021 the Scottish Government launched the Learning/Intellectual disability and autism: Transformation plan.
The aim of the plan is to “shape supports, services and attitudes to ensure that the human rights of autistic people and people with learning/intellectual disabilities are respected and protected”
In 2021 the our voice our rights campaign was launched by ENABLE Scotland, National Autistic Society Scotland and Scottish Autism. This campaign called for new laws in Scotland to create a country where human rights are respected and upheld.
In 2019 The Independent review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act, written by Andrew Rome was published. This report advocated for the removal of learning disabilities and autism from mental health legislation.
In 2018 the Scottish Government published the Coming Home Report. A report on out-of-area placements and delayed discharge for people with learning disabilities and complex needs.
The keys to life was first launched in 2013 in a joint commitment with COSLA. The aim of the strategy was to ensure that everyone, including people with a learning disability, could contribute to a fairer Scotland.
In 2001 a report on the review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 was published. The report aimed to look at reviewing mental health law in Scotland – something that had not been done for over 40 years.
The Same as you was launched by the Scottish Executive in 2000 and reviewed the services that were available to people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
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