Bank Holiday Closure Please note that our office is closed for the Platinum Jubilee bank holidays on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 June 2022. If you need to get in touch, you can call us on 0141 370 0968  and leave a message on our answerphone, or contact us via email admin@disabilityequality.scot. Messages will be picked up when we return  on Monday 6 June. Enjoy the long weekend!
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Straw Exemption Guidance Published Ahead of Single-use Plastics Ban The law on single-use plastics is changing on 1 June 2022. After this date, it will be unlawful to make and supply commercially any of the following single-use plastic items: Cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks and other similar utensils) Plates Beverage stirrers Food containers made of expanded polystyrene Cups made of expanded polystyrene Your Say on Disability – Plastic Straw Exemptions At Disability Equality Scotland, we invited our members to have their say on how the ban would impact disabled people. We are pleased that a critical exemption is applied to
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New Convener and Director Announced! At Disability Equality Scotland, we are delighted to announce Kayla-Megan Burns as our new Convener and Marie Harrower as a new Director. Kayla-Megan Burns: Convener Kayla is a climate and social justice activist who has worked locally, nationally and internationally on projects and campaigns covering areas such as the climate emergency, accessibility, the right to education for all, anti-hate, and gender equality. Originally from Enniskillen, N.Ireland, Kayla moved to Glasgow to pursue studies in Biomedical Science at the University of Strathclyde. Since then Kayla has rapidly built their career, becoming the President and Chair of the
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Protecting the Rights of Disabled People in Ukraine The members of the Scottish Independent Living Coalition (SILC) are deeply concerned by the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and are calling on support to ensure that disabled people are not abandoned. There are approximately 3 million disabled people in Ukraine. Reports are highlighting that disabled people are finding it difficult to access a safe means of evacuation and shelter. Disabled people are disproportionately impacted in emergency situations and are more likely to be left behind due to factors such as inaccessible transport and infrastructure. Disabled people can lose access to vital
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Closing Date Extended: Board of Directors Recruitment – Convener and Director Opportunity We are recruiting for two voluntary positions to join the Disability Equality Scotland Board of Directors and we have extended the closing date for both positions to Tuesday 8 March 2022. Position: Convener We are recruiting a new Convener to lead our Board of Directors and to guide the development of Disability Equality Scotland. The Convener also has a leadership role and is delegated the line-management of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In this position you will also be required to: Be a credible spokesperson for the organisation
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Webinar: Disability Training for Public Transport Staff Join Disability Equality Scotland as we host a webinar discussion about Disability Training for Public Transport Staff on Thursday 24 February 2022, from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. Feedback from our members has suggested that the success of a journey often depends on the attitude and behaviour of transport staff. Their knowledge and awareness of disabled people’s travel needs can make all the difference to a journey and can help disabled people to have confidence to travel. During this interactive webinar, we will be joined by representatives from leading public transport operators in Scotland to
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Have you experienced hate crime? Your story can drive change. Here is how. At Disability Equality Scotland, we are working with Police Scotland to improve the way the police and their partners respond to hate crime. But we can’t change without you. People tell us that the single biggest factor in improving practice and changing attitudes is hearing directly from disabled people about their experiences. So, we are looking for you to share your experiences in video format so your story can drive change across Scotland. Someone may have called you names on the bus or treated you badly in
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Watch: Disability Hate Crime Webinar Watch Disability Equality Scotland host a webinar discussion on Disability Hate Crime during National Hate Crime Week. During this event we heard from Police Scotland about what hate crime is, how it manifests, how to make a report and why it is important to do so. In addition, attendees discussed their own experiences of hate crime and reporting, and provided suggestions for how the process could be improved.  The ‘Hate Crime in Scotland, 2020-21’ report indicates that there has been an increase in the number of charges reported in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20 for all
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New Webinar Announcement: Disability Hate Crime – Tuesday 12 October, 1:30pm – 3:00pm Join Disability Equality Scotland on Tuesday 12 October, 1:30pm – 3:00pm as we host a webinar discussion about disability hate crime. In June 2021, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service released its latest report ‘Hate Crime in Scotland, 2020-21’ showing that the number of hate crimes relating to disability had increased by 14% to 448.  This is the highest number of charges reported since the legislation creating this aggravation came into force in 2010.  The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service maintain that around 97% of
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