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Ministerial Foreword
The Scottish Executive believes that disabled people should have the opportunity and choice to play an active part in Scottish society, to improve their quality of life and to be respected and included as equal members. These are essential ingredients in achieving a just and inclusive Scotland and in forging a successful, civilised and fair society in which we all feel proud to live.
Disabled people know only too well that trying to live and work in a society which is not structured to enable their participation is frustrating and can result in a lifetime of exclusion and discrimination. The barriers that prevent participation need to be addressed if disabled people are to achieve equality of opportunity in Scottish society.
The public sector has a major role to play in securing improvements in the lives of disabled people whether it is through delivering services; shaping the nation's infrastructure; protecting or providing for our citizens. The Scottish Executive has a key role in ensuring that the frameworks it creates help to deliver disability equality and the policies which it develops take account of disabled people's needs and experiences.
This new duty will increase the pace of change on disability equality and will make a real difference to the lives of disabled people. It will begin to shift the disadvantage and discrimination which can occur when organisations and institutions fail to take account of disabled people in the development of policies and services. It will also help public bodies to improve their performance and be more responsive to their communities.
Of course there is much to do to realise our goals for disability equality. This Scheme outlines how, as an organisation, we intend to approach this in the coming period. It emphasises the need to involve disabled people in our policy development and to make sure that we understand what disabled people need and want. However, the test will be what changes as a result. Undoubtedly some change will take time but I am confident that this new duty and the actions which will be taken across the range of policy areas will make a real difference.
Malcolm Chisholm, MSP
Minister for Communities
December 2006
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