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Hi folks, Welcome to the last e-mail update of 2009! Our December newsletter is now up on the website for you enjoy. The latest edition of the parliamentary supplement is also there. Click here to download. A report from our recent event in Stirling is also available for viewing. Click here to download.
Our Policy Officer, Bill Scott, has also been busy preparing a briefing paper on the new Welfare Reform Act which is available for download from our website.
Thanks to all our members, supporters and friends who have supported us over the last 12 months. We would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
Please note that the Inclusion Scotland office will be closed from today (18th December) at 12pm and will reopen on 5th January at 9am.
Happy Holidays!
Best wishes, Donna
News Update Monday 14th December 2009 Pre-budget report fails to deliver Anti-poverty campaigners say the pre-budget speech has struck the death knell for hopes of halving child poverty by next year. Tuesday 15th December 2009 Minister uses bus pass for official engagements Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson has told how he uses his free bus pass to travel on government business. Wednesday 16th December 2009 Harriet Harman to 'rethink' equality chief's £1,000 a day The UK government was forced to defend its decision to pay £1,000 a day to the chief executive of the troubled equalities watchdog today, amid accusations that ministers had been 'throwing money' at the body. Thursday 17th December 2009 Review highlights student finance meltdown Thousands of disabled students are being let down over funding critical to their studies.
Information Inclusion Scotland Membership Inclusion Scotland is Scotland’s leading organisation of disabled people. We aim to draw attention to the physical, social, economic, cultural and attitudinal barriers that affect our everyday lives as disabled people in Scotland. If you or your organisation would like to join Inclusion Scotland, see our website www.inclusionscotland.org for more information. Or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone 0141 887 7058.
Quarriers Research Research has recently been published by Quarriers around disabled people’s and disability groups and organisations. There are three papers which have been produced: A Resource Guide to Engagement Standards, Guidance and Tool Kits This report is one of a series of three produced as a result of research into disability organisations across Scotland and their capacity to influence public bodies. Mapping Scotland's Disability Organisations This report is one of a series of three produced as a result of research into disability organisations across Scotland and their capacity to influence public bodies. The Capacity of Disability Organisations to Engage with Public Authorities This report is one of a series of three produced as a result of research into disability organisations across Scotland and their capacity to influence public authorities.
Funding opportunities for disabled artists Are you a disabled artist looking to develop your work, strengthen artistic practice, challenge perceptions and forge new partnerships with presenting venues and events? If so, then Unlimited could be just the offer you’ve been waiting for! Unlimited is a new UK-wide disability arts commissioning fund being run as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The fund aims to commission new work that is artistically-led by disabled people and projects of between £25,000 and £50,000 are being actively encouraged. Unlimited will celebrate disability, arts, culture and sport on an unprecedented scale, as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. The application process is being operated by Arts Council England on behalf of London 2012, the Scottish Arts Council, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the British Council who have all contributed to the scheme. Read on at: http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/1/artsinscotland/equalities/features/unli mited.aspx or use http://digbig.com/5baray
Commissioner for Public Appointments Scotland Annual Report http://www.publicappointments.org/publications/documents/OCPASAnnualReport2008-09FINALPDFC.pdf This annual report summarises the work carried out by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS) during our fifth year of operation. It describes our role, our work during the year and our impact. It contains encouraging news about the progress made in implementing Diversity Delivers, the first equal opportunities strategy for ministerial public appointments. It also describes how the appointments process is changing to attract a wider and more diverse group of applicants for positions on the boards of Scotland’s public bodies.
Inclusion Scotland note 18.9% of applicants for public appointments were disabled people – which is very good as it’s nearly an exact match with proportion in population (20%). However only around 8% (12 disabled people out of 154 total appointments) were actually appointed. That suggests that even though the Commissioner has done good work to attract applications disabled people are still much more likely to be rejected than non-disabled people. For more information on the report visit the website - http://www.publicappointments.org
Scottish Rural Equality Network (SREN) Online Discussion Forum Online Discussion Forum for the Scottish Rural Equality Network (SREN), sponsored by the Equality & Human Rights Commission and developed by the Highlands & Islands Equality Forum (HIEF), is now live at www.scvo.org.uk/srenonline/ Discussion boards featured are: · News and Hot Topics - what's happening in the world of Rural Equality - discussions on emerging news stories, updates and key issues · Shared Resources - requests for help, support, advice and expertise; sharing and signposting of key resources (includes link to HIEF Equality Toolkit) · Events and Training - Adverts, requests, discussions, reviews on anything and everything to do with events and training · Public Duties - all issues around public sector duties This Online Forum has been created because people across rural Scotland have told HIEF that it would be a useful tool to support their local work in equalities. Marginalised groups and individuals in rural areas face challenges to inclusion which are often caused or made worse by living in a rural environment and the SREN network is being developed to allow shared learning on common issues. The Forum can only succeed as a support network if folks from across rural Scotland contribute regularly to the sharing of learning and information. Our network will be strengthened by numbers - no one person holds the answers to all questions but collectively we do have a lot of knowledge, it's just a matter of linking up and exchanging those pearls of wisdom! So be prepared to contribute as well as to learn - take pride in sharing your local case studies, they will be an inspiration to others.
2009 Directory of Opportunities for Disabled People in Fife The 2009 Directory of Opportunities for Disabled People in Fife is now ready and over the last couple of months has been distributed widely across Fife, as well as being available at www.fifedirect.org.uk/fenlink. The directory guides disabled people through their options on the employability journey and introduces the people and organisations who can help. It has also proved very helpful to carers, practitioners and family members - and it’s free. If you haven’t yet received copies or would like additional copies, please phone Sandra Wilson on 01592 583378 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Scottish Accessible Information Forum (SAIF) - Public Service Providers And Accessible Information During the year, SAIF undertook some research with several organisations across Scotland looking at the provision of accessible information in their organisation and their awareness of the role and remit of SAIF. This report summarises the main findings from the research and sets out the next steps for SAIF in taking forward the recommendations. SAIF would like to thank all the people who participated in the research. To download a copy of this report visit www.saifscotland.org.uk
‘Your Call’ telephone service 'Your Call' is a free telephone counseling service which is open to disabled people from all over Scotland. The `Your Call' counsellors are all disabled people themselves, providing them with an understanding of what it means to live as a disabled person in Scotland. The counsellors work as volunteers, and are trained to a professional standard in counselling. The service takes calls to its appointment line from 11am until 3 pm Mondays to Thursdays. Calls are free from a home telephone, and from most mobile networks(including T-Mobile, Vodaphone, O2, 3, Orange and Virgin Mobile). The number is withheld so it will not appear on the phone bill. Counselling can help people who are trying to come to terms with painful events from their past, or who need support through a current crisis or change in lifestyle. It can also help people who are struggling to manage difficult feelings such as depression or anxiety, or who are seeking direction and meaning in their lives. A counsellor will not judge, nor tell a person how to live their life. Instead he or she is trained to help explore a person's own situation and to support them to find their own way forward. The 'Your Call' number is 08088 01 03 62, and the service is open to all disabled people in Scotland who are over the age of 16, and their immediate family members.
Playback ICE Playback is an organisation which promotes inclusion, active citizenship and equity through creative and innovative learning resources, training, consultation and evaluation processes. They have launched a new web site dedicated to our two most recent resources: 1. Moving On Transition in Action A Personal Development Workbook Learning Programme for young people 2. How Well Do You Know Your School offering a rigorous approach to self evaluation and reflective practice impacting on pupils learning and planning for improvement
Safe Journey Card You may be interested to know about the "First Group" safe journey card to use if you travel by bus or train. This is a down loadable ticket shaped card that you can print off to show the driver / conductor to discretely ask for assistance or patience when boarding / leaving. Particularly useful if you have a hidden impairment. There are pre-printed cards with requests on them such as: "Please wait until I sit down before driving off"; "I have difficulty speaking"; "I have difficulty hearing" and so on, plus a blank one for you to fill in yourself. Makes a change from having to shout your business for all to hear! Attached the PDF or download from: www.firstgroup.com/safejourney
European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010 has been designated as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. As poverty and unemployment increases across the European Union, and as progress in the UK looks more and more uncertain, the European Year provides an opportunity to refocus anti-poverty policy both in the UK and across Europe. The Poverty Alliance, and the other anti-poverty networks in the UK, are keen to highlight the wide range of activities that are taking place in the UK to address poverty and social exclusion. We want to ensure that during the course of the European Year we are able to highlight those events and activities that raise the profile of poverty issues, that involve people with experience of exclusion and that will leave a lasting legacy of good practice and knowledge. We want to share with other organisations, including anti-poverty groups across Europe through the European Anti-Poverty Network, the kinds of events and actions that are being taken to address poverty. These actions can include seminars, workshops, conferences, new publications, demonstrations. We will put all the events on our website and will include updates on our enews, and will highlight them to the members of the Network across Europe. This form can be downloaded from our website.
New Scotland-Wide Initiative Launched to Get Disabled People Connected Momentum have officially launched a unique new service this week which will take cutting-edge assistive technologies to into the homes of disabled people. Momentum’s Adapt and Assist programme will deliver the service to people in their own homes via a community volunteering network, which sees trained volunteers share their knowledge of the technologies and how these can be adapted to disabled people. Via a home-based tailored training programme service users will be given the skills and confidence that they need to use the high-end equipment, ranging from eye-response technology to head and mouth controlled mouse devices. For further information on Adapt and Assist, contact Garry Ryan, assistive technology coordinator on tel: 0141 952 6494 / email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / www.momentumscotland.org
Consultations, Surveys & Campaigns
Consultation on Public Sector Equality Duty Specific Duties Inclusion Scotland are looking to submit a response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Public Sector Equality Duty Specific Duties. The full consultation document can be found here - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/09/28154835/0 If you would like a brief summary of this, please contact us and we can provide you with one. We would be grateful if all responses can be sent to us by 24th December 2009 in order for us to collate them. Please send responses to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone 0141 887 7058.
Assisted Dying As you may know Margo MacDonald MSP’s Bill on Assisted Dying has now got sufficient signatures to be considered by a Committee of the Scottish Parliament. We are concerned that changes which could have a profound effect on how disabled people are viewed and treated by the NHS and wider society are being considered in a fairly one-sided atmosphere. Of course some people may support Margo’s Bill and we respect their viewpoint but Inclusion Scotland’s agreed policy is to oppose any change in the current law on suicide and/or assisted dying. That will mean talking to and writing to MSPs to make sure that they hear the alternative viewpoint. Please find enclosed a detailed briefing on disabled people and the history of euthanasia & Margo’s current proposals and their potential implications. We intend to expand the Contact 100 group on Assisted Suicide so please let us know if you wish to join it and we will keep you informed of the Bill’s progress and provide suggestions as to how you might help in lobbying at a local and national level. If you wish to join the group or have any comments or thoughts or the Bill please forward them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone 0141 887 7058.
European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) - let your voice be heard - Disability Action Plan There are approximately 50 million EU citizens who are disabled. They are one of the largest groups of citizens at a disadvantage. To improve this situation, the European Commission is preparing a new EU Disability Strategy for 2010 to 2020. Therefore, they put a questionnaire online, which everyone can fillin. The questionnaire asks for your opinion on the problems faced by disabled people and ways of solving them. We filled in the questionnaire ourselves and we noticed a problem. There is a section about Independent Living. However, the term "personal assistance" is not mentioned at all. The issues of community living and personal budget are raised, but personal assistance is left out. Therefore, we would like to ask you to use the comment field at the end of the questionnaire. You could write something like this: The absence of the term 'personal assistance' or questions relating to it are surprising. The Council of Europe Disability Action Plan ( action 8) states a clear objective (8viii) 'to promote schemes which will allow disabled people to employ personal assistants of their choice' . The right to personal assistance is also a crucial part of article 19 in the CRPD. All European strategies must ensure that the implementation of this right is prioritized to promote Independent Living and the self determination of disabled people. Personal assistance should be made available to all European Citizens who require it. To further its practical application ought to be a key part of the forthcoming European Action Plan rather than absent from it. To access the questionnaire click here.
Hate Crime Marketing Survey We are a group of public and voluntary sector organisations working together to identify and eliminate unlawful discrimination, attacks and harassment and to promote good relations. A Hate Incident - is any incident perceived as such by you or any other person. Anyone can be the victim of a hate incident. Incidents perceived by any person to have been motivated by hatred, malice or prejudice of Race, Religion / Faith, Sexual Orientation, Transgender identity or Disability are recorded, monitored and investigated as hate incidents. We need your help with a deciding on what marketing materials for a campaign we are running to raise awareness of our work. This survey should take you about 5 minutes: http://www.survs.com/survey/3N9185810D For more information about our work visit www.stophateincentralscotland.org.uk
"Free Our People Now - Campaign for Deinstitutionalisation" Across Europe, thousands of disabled people still spend their lives inappropriately and unjustifiably segregated from society. With a severe lack, or complete absence, of community-based services in many European countries, untold numbers of disabled people have no access to quality alternatives to institutional care. The segregation of disabled people in long-stay residential institutions is in itself a violation of disabled people's human rights. We hope that this campaign finds your appreciation and invite you to follow the link below to sign it. http://www.enil.eu/enil/index.php?option=com_petbreak Signatures will be collected until the Freedom Drive 2011 and will be presented to the European Parliament as well as national and international authorities.
Deaf Health Research Project · Do deaf people have worse health than hearing people? · Do deaf people have unequal access to health services? · How difficult is communication with doctors and other health people? Register your opinions now at: www.iwantbetterhealth.org.uk
Events & Training
Pathways to Work Disability Alliance has been asked by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for your help encouraging ESA/IB users to improve Pathways to Work. What do the people who access your services think would make Pathways work better? DWP are very keen to seek ESA and IB customer views on options for a revised Pathways to Work support package. A meeting is being held in London (exact location tbc) on 20th January to discuss options. The meeting will begin at 10:30am and finish around 3pm with lunch provided. DWP are also considering reimbursing travel costs to help people attend. DWP is not always able to attract benefit recipients to attend meetings and recognises that engaging people through your organisation is more likely to be effective in attracting people. It would be very helpful if you could invite some of the people you represent who are likely to be an ESA or IB recipient (or have been in the recent past) to the 20 January meeting. If you or your members/service users are interested in participating in this meeting please contact Martin Inch at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Poverty Alliance Seminars 2010 will be a significant year in the fight against poverty. The UK General Election and the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion will provide a real opportunity to debate about how best to tackle poverty. It is an opportunity to look at existing strategies, consider the successes and failures and what the next steps ought to be. The Poverty Alliance’s annual seminar series will focus on looking at what has been achieved so far, and what the anti-poverty movement in Scotland should be calling for in the next period in order to ensure that poor people are not made to pay for the economic crisis. A total of 10 half day seminars will take place between Glasgow Central 15 January For more information and to register visit http://www.povertyalliance.org/events.asp
Public Appointments - Launch of free one-day course The Equalities and Human Rights Commission, the Commissioner for Public Appointments and Queen Margaret University are working together to increase the number of people who apply for board positions with our public bodies. We are creating a “pathway to public appointments” for everyone interested. The first step is to take part in an awareness raising and education programme being piloted from November 2009. The one-day courses will explain what public bodies are, what the board and individual board members do and give advice on how to apply for these posts. We are running pilots on: · Wednesday 20 January 2010 at Queen Margaret University Edinburgh · Wednesday 24 February 2010 at Highlands and Islands Enterprise Inverness (date to be confirmed) There are places for 20 people on each day. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. The courses are free and travel and carer costs will be paid. For more information contact Karen Elder on 0131 718 6268 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Scottish Accessible Information Forum (SAIF) In-House Training Now Available Our in-house training courses are available for individual organisations. They include: Raising Awareness; Is It Accessible; Creating Accessible Documents; Sending Accessible Emails and Testing Website Accessibility. For more information or to discuss individual requirements contact Susan Burn at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Project Ability – Christmas Show
Exhibition: 4 - 23 December 2009 Project Ability's annual ‘Xmas show' is a collection of new works, drawing, painting and craft, that have been produced over the past three months in our new workshop in Trongate 103. The ‘Xmas show' at Project Ability will combine work from all three workshop programmes; Aspire, Create and Connect. Artists from the workshop programme will display and sell craft in Project Ability's shop, alongside the work of Project Ability's tutors. For more information telephone 0141 552 2822 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Seminars: Invest To Engage: Enhancing Connections With The NHS · 19th January: Dumfries · 2nd February: Falkirk · 16th February: Inverness. Brian Cavanagh, former chair of NHS Lothian and City of Edinburgh Councillor, and Voluntary Health Scotland are jointly hosting this one-day seminar to equip third sector organisations with the skills to engage with NHS Health Boards. These events aim to: · Increase awareness of current strategic health policy in Scotland · Identify the key players within Scottish Government and NHS Scotland · Explain how the Direct Elections to Health Boards will work and the opportunities for engagement · Increase awareness of how Health Boards operate and how to navigate Health Boards’ decision making process · Increase confidence in influencing and engagement strategies · Design a best practice engagement framework for your organisation. More info at http://www.vhscotland.org.uk/events/seminar.php
Communities, Inequality And Health Improvement: Policy And Practice For Community-Led Health 1 February, 9.30am - 4.30pm, Perth Concert Hall This promises to be the most significant event in recent years to bring together ideas, challenges and lessons about the importance of community-led health in tackling inequalities and building a healthier Scotland. Presentations and workshops on the day will capture the experiences of people directly involved in the Meeting the Shared Challenge programme over the last two years, as well as looking at the challenges ahead. The conference will provide important insights to policy-makers, practitioners and managers, and to community or voluntary sector organisations who want to involve communities more closely in improving community health. To register go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/8C5C8KY The conference is free but places are limited and registration closes on 18th January. If for any reason you are unable to register online, please contact Lee Goundry at SCDC to request a registration form by email - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 0141 248 1924. For more information on Meeting the Shared Challenge visit www.scdc.org.uk
Jobs & Volunteering
Equality and Human Rights Commission Post: Committee Member Scotland Salary: 12 days per annum - £250 per day plus expenses Location: Scotland Closing Date: 11th January 2010 This role is about working creatively to tackle discrimination and promote human rights across Scotland. Being a Committee member offers you a unique opportunity to influence the equality and human rights agenda in Scotland. Our Scotland Committee, chaired by the Scotland Commissioner, oversees our work and contributes to strategy in Scotland, as well as providing informed, impartial and balanced perspectives on a range of complex issues. You will make informed decisions, focus on outcomes, understand key risks and encourage partnerships. We will also call on your confidence and credibility to build relationships and sustainable networks across a demanding, diverse group of stakeholders, including the Scottish Human Rights Commission, the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government. The appointment will be between two and five years, subject to annual performance and appraisal after two years. If you think you have the skills and experience we require and want to apply please call 0161 829 8625/ 0161 829 8640 or click here to download an application pack. |