Disabled people know best what prevents our full inclusion into Scottish society, and what needs to be done to promote it. We know this through our experiences of exclusion.
Inclusion Scotland works to make sure that policy and decision-makers know what matters to disabled people and how to remove the barriers that prevent us being fully part of our society. They need to know about our experiences, views and priorities for action so they make the right decisions.
There should be nothing about us, without us. No one should make decisions that affect us without including us in the decision-making process. That’s plain common sense. The United Nations agrees.
We support disabled people to get involved in policy and research to inform Scottish Policy and public services on what disabled people want and need. We gather disabled people’s experiences and views through polls, research, events and through groups such as People Led Policy Panels. You can get involved in our work.
What do we do with the experience and evidence that disabled people share with us?
We work nationally to inform and influence decisions makers and service providers. We do this by:
- Supporting disabled people and their Disabled People’s Organisations to use their lived experience to inform and influence local and national policy makers and working with them to build their capacities to do this with guidance and webinars.
- Publishing briefings, reports and election Manifestos explaining the barriers that disabled people face, what this means for them and what is needed to make Scotland more inclusive and equal.
- Writing to Ministers and public authorities to tell them what needs to happen and to hold them to account.
- Briefing politicians and giving evidence to Parliamentary Committees.
- Promoting lived experience and Human Rights Approaches (called PANEL) to policy and decision makers.
- Gathering wider support for disabled people’s ask through press work, and working in partnership with disabled people, Disabled People’s Organisations and others.
- Working with the Scottish Just Law Centre to challenge policies that are ineffective and use court findings to create widespread change.
Find out about our latest policy work.