The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many things to light in terms of inequalities in our society, and this has certainly been the case when it comes to the welfare and human rights of people with learning disabilities. It was at the height of the pandemic in the April of 2020, that it became apparent that there was not adequate data on how COVID-19 …
Relationships matter for people with learning disabilities – anyone who has been keeping an eye on the SCLD website and social media channels over the last month can be in no doubt of that. Whoever we are and wherever we come from, we all share a need for human connection, whether that be through our families, friends, romantic relationships, or through our community – such as our neighbours and …
2020 has been a tumultuous year for all of us. The Coronavirus Pandemic has presented considerable new challenges that SCLD and PAMIS believe have disproportionately impacted all disabled people, including people with learning/intellectual disabilities. Despite this, there have been some opportunities for hope including Scotland’s ongoing commitment to becoming a children’s rights respecting nation. We continue to see considerable steps …
My first kiss – The Scout Hall, Pollokshields, November 1975. Catherine Fulton in a purple midi skirt, looking a million dollars. Me, with my wide-collared floral shirt and my new flared jeans that my mum had taken the hem up on because she’d bought them with an eye for my next growth spurt that hadn’t kicked in yet. Every teenager in Pollokshields …
Relationships are tricky things for many of us, including myself, and sometimes I think it’s a case of we can’t live with them and we can’t live without them. This year has been challenging for us all and it has certainly shown me that I can’t live without relationships, even if they have to be virtual. If this is how I am feeling, I’m pretty sure that it is the …
When I think about it, it was in going to different groups that I got to meet lots of people, and I made friends that way. I met people when I started going to my local ACE group, then I got asked to join the national ACE group, so I met more people that way. Then it was through that, that I was asked …
The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) has launched ‘Relationships Matter,’ our first report generated from the landmark survey of people with learning disabilities in Scotland, carried out in 2019. The report focuses on relationships and loneliness, and explores some issues that relate to these, like happiness, choice, and support. SCLD developed the survey with a range of …
