Inclusion ScotlandInclusion ScotlandInclusion ScotlandInclusion Scotland
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Mission
    • Our Board
    • Our Funders
    • Vacancies
  • What We Do
    • Employability and Civic Participation
    • Policy Work
    • People-Led Policy
    • Research
  • Resources
    • Employment
    • Human Rights
    • Poverty and Social Security
    • Reports
    • News
  • Become a Member
  • Contact

Access to Politics Charter

Addressing the barriers preventing disabled people from becoming fully involved in politics. 

Background image of Scottish Parliament. Access to Politics logo in lower right-hand corner. Text: "Access to Politics", "Political Parties need to do more to address the barriers that prevent disabled people from becoming fully active in politics, including standing for election."

*NEW March 2019* – Political parties have provided questionnaire feedback on their engagement with the Access to Politics Charter.

Working with disabled activists from all political parties and none, Inclusion Scotland has developed the Access to Politics Charter, to address the barriers preventing disabled people from becoming fully involved in politics.

Building on its experience delivering the Scottish Government’s Access to Elected Office Fund during last year’s local council elections, Inclusion Scotland held an event in February where over fifty disabled activists began the process of creating a list of solutions to problems faced by disabled people getting into politics.

Click on each individual Charter point for more information.

In the Charter, political parties affirm that:

1. We shall produce and publish a statement outlining how we will support disabled people’s participation in every aspect of our activities.

2. We shall support and resource a disabled members’ group within our party.

3. We shall commit to positive and proactive provision of disability equality training to elected officers, staff and party members.

4. We shall ensure that the language we use about ‘disability’ recognises it as a societal issue with societal solutions.

5. We shall investigate alternative means of participation such as remote presence and internal digital voting.

6. We shall voluntarily publish data on protected characteristics of our candidates in line with section 106 of the Equality Act 2010 for all elections, including Scottish local authority elections.

7. We shall investigate job-sharing for internal elected roles and for elected public office.

8. We shall actively support and encourage disabled people to stand for elected office and explore mechanisms that ensure the election of a representative number of disabled candidates.

Charter Download and Accessible Versions

Download a PDF copy of the Charter here.

Large Print and Easy Read versions of the Access to Politics Charter are also available. The BSL video of the charter is available below.

Inclusion Scotland: ‘Access to Politics Charter’ from Magic Egg on Vimeo.

Launch Event

The Access to Politics Charter was launched at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 14th June, at an event hosted by the Deputy Presiding Officer, Linda Fabiani. The event was well attended by disabled people and MSPs, several of whom signed-up to the Charter, which commits political parties to addressing the barriers faced by disabled people getting into politics. Notably, the Charter was signed by all five Scottish party leaders – Nicola Sturgeon for the SNP, Ruth Davidson for the Conservatives, Richard Leonard for Labour, Willie Rennie for the Liberal Democrats, and Patrick Harvie for the Scottish Green Party.

(back, l-r) Ruth Davidson MSP (Conservative), Linda Fabiani MSP (Deputy Presiding Officer), Phyl Meyer (Inclusion Scotland), Willie Rennie MSP (Liberal Democrats), Stuart Pyper (Inclusion Scotland), Richard Leonard MSP (Labour), Patrick Harvie MSP (Scottish Green Party), Nicola Sturgeon MSP (SNP)
(front) Ethan Young (Inclusion Scotland)
Signing of the Access to Politics Charter at the Scottish Parliament.
Front Row: Ethan Young (Inclusion Scotland) / Back Row: Ruth Davidson MSP (Leader, Scottish Conservatives), Linda Fabiani MSP (Deputy Presiding Officer), Phyl Meyer (Inclusion Scotland), Willie Rennie MSP (Leader, Scottish Liberal Democrats), Stuart Pyper (Inclusion Scotland), Richard Leonard MSP (Leader, Scottish Labour), Patrick Harvie MSP (Co-Convenor, Scottish Green Party), Nicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister (Leader, SNP)

What’s Next

‘All parties at Holyrood have committed to removing the barriers that prevent people from participating in politics,’ said Linda Fabiani. Over the next year, it’s down to all of us to hold the parties to that promise. The point of the Charter is not the event, or the photo call, but now – what comes next.

As individuals, we can promote the Charter on social media, and at branch meetings – why not send the Charter to your MSP or MP? Or, like one ingenious activist, plant the Charter in your party’s parliamentary offices?

Inclusion Scotland will be working with parties and their disabled members to report on how Charter commitments are being met, and where parties need further development. We respect the parties’ commitments to the Charter, but we don’t want it to be an easy promise – nothing worthwhile ever is. The Charter means real action, from all of us, and the chance for the grand prize. The same opportunities, the same invitation into politics and political parties, as everyone else.

Inclusion Scotland footer

Navigation

Home
Who We Are
What We Do
Resources
Become a Member
Contact

Address

22-24 Earl Grey St
Edinburgh
EH3 9BN

Contact details

info@inclusionscotland.org

0131 370 6700

Social media

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
© 2018 Inclusion Scotland | All rights reserved
  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Resources
  • News
  • Become a Member
  • Contact
Inclusion Scotland