Disability Working Group
Following the European Year of Disabled People (EYDP) 2003, Scottish Ministers agreed to establish a strategic short-life Disability Working Group (DWG) to build on the achievements of EYDP and help the Government prioritise disability equality work for the life of the current Parliament. The DWG consists of representatives from key organisations of and for disabled people in Scotland. They met for the first time in October 2004 to discuss the remit and priorities of the group.
The group remit is:
To establish priorities for the Scottish Government and partner organisations to promote equality for disabled people in Scotland; and to develop proposals on longer term mechanisms for engagement with the disability sector.
To consider the first part of their remit, 'to establish priorities for the Scottish Government and partner organisations to promote equality for disabled people in Scotland', the group identified clusters of activity that it wished to see taken forward by smaller more focussed groups. The key areas identified were
- Employment, including piloting good practice
- Public sector duty to promote disability equality: mainstreaming disability equality; corporate responsibility; engaging public authorities
- Communication; consultation; education and training; citizenship; disability equality training; pubic attitudes; access to information
- Social inclusion; poverty; independent living; direct payments; care and support services; rehabilitation
The Report of the Disability Working Group and the Scottish Government response to the report were published in November 2006. The DWG Report presents the DWG's 48 recommendations for the Scottish Government, local authorities, employers, educators, community care providers and others to help promote equality for disabled people in Scotland.
For further information about the group and its work please use the links below: