THE UN has been told of a “lack of progress” in improving the lives of disabled Scots – as human rights champions accused the Scottish Government of not doing enough to help people with disabilities.
The Scottish Human Rights Commission gave evidence at a meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva on Monday morning and raised concerns about the standard of social care and stalled plans for the creation of a National Care Service.
The Commission, a public body accountable to the Scottish Parliament, told the UN committee that the Edinburgh administration had “not done enough to ensure disabled people’s human rights are fully realised”.
Their representatives told delegates in Switzerland that the Scottish social care system was failing disabled people, because of what they said was a lack of adequate funding and staffing and geographical variation in costs.
They also raised the concerns of the Scottish Independent Living Coalition, which has expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in creating a National Care Service.
Plans for a care service in the model of the NHS have been delayed after they were criticised by health unions and local authorities, with MSPs yet to debate the bill pushing forward the reforms at stage one – despite ministers introducing the proposals more than a year ago.
The UN committee was also alerted to concerns about what the commissions said was the lack of engagement and participation of disabled people in shaping laws which affect them.
Jan Savage, executive director of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, said in a statement: “The Scottish Human Rights Commission is highlighting real concerns to the UN that the situation for disabled people overall in Scotland has not got better and there is an urgent need to address the barriers that disabled people face and the cumulative impact of these.
“The Scottish Government has not done enough to ensure disabled people’s human rights are fully realised and we are pushing for protection of disabled people’s rights to employment, independent living and an adequate standard of living”.
“The Scottish Government’s commitment to embed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as part of a new Human Rights Bill is something both the Commission and the Scottish Independent Living Coalition members welcome.
“However, any laws must be robust and effective to ensure they drive change and disabled people can challenge when things go wrong.
“We urge the Scottish Government to act on the recommendations in the reports, and prioritise the outcomes of the UN committee’s scrutiny.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government remains committed to advancing equality for disabled people, who we recognise are disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis.
"We are working closely with disabled people’s organisations to develop an immediate priorities plan to develop actions that combat the effects the crisis continues to have on disabled people’s lives.
“Stakeholders and people with direct experience of the social care support system have told us the system needs to change to address standards and consistency across Scotland.
"That is why are committed to a National Care Service that will put people at the centre of the system whilst ensuring consistent, high quality social care support and community healthcare services that properly meet the needs of people across the country.
“We will continue to work directly with people who access and deliver community health and social care support, including disable people, to help design the new National Care Service with human rights at its heart.
“The National Care Service will provide national leadership, oversight and standards to ensure consistency and fairness and sustained improvement in people’s services.”
