Scottish Learning Disability Week 2024
Scottish Learning Disability Week is fast approaching. Order your Get Involved Pack, choose from 15 online events and you can find more downloadable resources here.
Women with Learning Disabilities Inspiring Inclusion in Gender-Based Violence Policies and Beyond
“Too often…feminists with disabilities have been excluded from the spaces, conversations, and movements that have shaped progress towards gender equality at the global, regional, national, and local levels.” (The Inclusive Generation Equality Collective, 2022) At the launch of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s new strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls, called Equally Safe, we were delighted …
Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill consultation – Information
The Scottish Government has a plan for a new law they think will make life better for people with learning disabilities, this will be called the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill. We will call this the LDAN Bill for short. SCLD believes that the Bill could make a big difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities in …
The Lived Experience Board and the Scottish Government Human Rights Bill Team meet to discuss the Human Right Bill
A blog by Sarah D’Agrosa As part of the Lived Experience Board’s ongoing work on the Human Rights Bill process, the board met via Zoom with members of the Scottish Government Human Rights Bill team. Despite a busy diary, 6 members of the team from various departments made time to meet with members of the board. The Lived Experience Board …
Blog by Michelle Mair: SCLD publishes Power Women: Gender-Based Violence and Learning Disability Leadership Course Impact Report
Last year People First (Scotland)’s Equally Safe Group and SCLD co-designed and delivered Power Women, a pioneering leadership course led by women with learning disabilities, for self-identifying women with learning disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence in Scotland. This powerful example of women with learning disabilities empowering their peers to make Scotland a better place for women and girls with …
John’s story
“My name is John. I grew up in the Royal Scottish National Hospital (RSNH) when I was a wee tot. I don’t remember my life before that. I went in there when I was about two or three years old. They put me in the hospital because they said I had epilepsy and I was having fits, but I don’t …
Blog by Lorne Berkley: Dynamic Support Registers
The first national publication of data from Dynamic Support Registers for people with learning disabilities and complex care needs has been published by Public Health Scotland. The Dynamic Support Register was launched in May 2023, as one of the key recommendations from the Coming Home Implementation report. The Coming Home Implementation report set an ambitious mission of reducing delayed discharge …
Restraint Reduction Network conference: Cameron’s highlights
Cameron Smith is SCLD’s Development Worker and a member of Restraint Reduction Scotland. Back in October Cameron attended the UK Restraint Reduction Network Annual Conference in Bristol. Here are some of his key highlights of the conference… What was the stand-out presentation from the conference? Paul Dix was the stand-out presentation. Paul is a parent and an author. In his …
Calling out abuse: Why education is key in tackling abuse and violence committed against women and girls with learning disabilities
SCLD is delighted to welcome new, evidence-based guidance on the delivery of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education in Additional Support Needs schools. We have written the following article jointly with colleagues and researchers from the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory (SLDO) at the University of Glasgow and Queen’s University Belfast, who have been working to develop the new guidance. …
SCLD publishes Digital Transformation report
In an increasingly digital world, it is important that people with learning disabilities are empowered with the tools and knowledge they need to take advantage of the opportunities digital presents. In 2022 SCLD was given funding by the Scottish Government Digital Health and Care Directorate’s Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme, to consider how digital technology can transform the lives of people with …
