Face Covering Exemption Card Scheme Closure Following recent discussions with the Scottish Government, we can now confirm that the Face Covering Exemption project will close after almost three years of support, at 12 noon, on Friday 22 September 2023. There are no COVID-19 rules or restrictions in Scotland. We are now living with COVID-19 as one of a number of respiratory infections. Guidance is still in place for those experiencing symptoms of a respiratory infection including Covid-19. Respect for those who are unable to wear a face covering and other people’s choices is acknowledged and encouraged as part of Coronavirus
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Share Your Views on the Accessibility of Food Labels On World Braille Day (4 January 2023) Disability Equality Scotland, Oban and District Access Panel and Sight Scotland launched a campaign calling on the Scottish Government to introduce new requirements on retailers to provide braille labelling on food products. We are asking for a statutory duty to be placed on businesses and retailers to provide braille labels on food products detailing the name of the item and the use by/sell by dates. This is an essential requirement for blind and partially sighted people, which would allow visually impaired individuals to safely
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My Soul Recovered at Last with Thanks to Sea the Change Disability Equality Scotland CEO, Lyn Pornaro, shares a summer-themed blog post on her experiences of beach accessibility. The beach! Crashing waves, soft sand, wind blowing in your face. If you are anything like me, you love this image.  Even more so you love being at the beach.  I always find that it clears my head and refreshes my soul when I spend time there. I think that came from my childhood.  Being a Fifer, we occasionally went on the bus to Kinghorn beach with a neighbour during the summer
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Hate Crime Charter at the Pickaquoy Centre Following the successful launch of the national Hate Crime Charter with Scotland’s public transport operators, Disability Equality Scotland is developing a similar charter for use in private, public and third sector locations. The Hate Crime Charter aims to encourage businesses, transport providers, members of the public and other services to support a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime in Scotland, while encouraging the reporting of incidents. The goal is for disabled people to feel comfortable and safe wherever they are, while raising awareness of disability hate crime in different settings. Currently, the Charter is
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Face Covering Exemption Project Update During the COVID-19 Pandemic people were required by law to wear a face covering but for some people this isn’t possible. Since September 2020 Disability Equality Scotland has worked with Scottish Government to run the Face Covering Exemption Scheme. This scheme provided people with a physical card or a digital download which they were able to use as proof of being exempt from wearing a face covering. To get their exemption people were able to phone a designated helpline or by visiting the www.exempt.scot website. We also ran a survey via the website to get
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Social Care and the Scottish Human Rights Bill – Consultation Event Join Disability Equality Scotland and partners at an online event from 3pm to 5pm on Thursday 31 August 2023 to discuss social care and the proposed Scottish Human Rights Bill. The Scottish Government has published a Scottish Human Rights Bill consultation. This is an ambitious step for human rights in Scotland because the Bill will embed rights into Scots law.  If done well, this could improve rights-based decision making across the country and make it easier for people to name and claim their rights.  The purpose of the Scottish Government’s
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Event: Celebrate 20 years of Disability Equality Scotland! Join us for a special day to Celebrate 20 years of Disability Equality Scotland improving access and inclusion for disabled people. This day will feature our members, our supporters, and our funders.  Our Keynote Speaker will be announced soon along with a full agenda. Date and time: Tuesday 19 September 2023, 11am – 3pm Location (Hybrid): The Barracks, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ and Online via Zoom The day will be held as a hybrid event.  We have a limited amount of spaces in person at the Barracks Conference Centre, Stirling.  We
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Join Us: Senior Training and Development Worker An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Disability Equality Scotland team! We are looking for a full time Senior Training and Development Worker to expand and deliver our Disability Equality Training courses with a focus on a project with Local Authorities. The post will contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of our training courses. The post will also support the development of our e-Learning site and the creation of new specific standalone courses around accessibility. This post should have a high level of responsibility for designing, delivering, evaluating, and
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Disability Equality Scotland Welcomes New Staff and Trustee We are delighted to welcome Ian, Pamela, and Sonya to our staff team and Zara Todd as a new director on our board. A big warm welcome to Ian, Pamela, Sonya, and Zara! Zara Todd – Director   Zara Todd is a disability activist, researcher, trainer, and facilitator. She is based in Edinburgh with her husband and two cats. Originally from London Zara has been involved in disability activism since childhood and co-founded the European network on independent living’s youth network. She is passionate about equity and inclusion and particularly interested in
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