Scottish Parliament Election 2026 The next Scottish Parliament election will take place on 7 May 2026. This election allows people in Scotland aged 16 and over to vote for Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). MSPs represent people and make decisions on devolved issues such as health, education and transport. Key dates: Register to vote: midnight on Monday 20 April 2026 Apply for a postal vote: 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026 Apply for a proxy vote: 5pm on 28 April 2026 What is a manifesto? A manifesto is a document published by a political party before an election. It
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Communication Inclusion People – Free Practical Resources! Disability Equality Scotland has worked in partnership with Communication Inclusion People to create an Inclusive Communication Toolkit. As part of this work, we are sharing a set of free resources created by Communication Inclusion People. These resources were co-produced with people who communicate in different ways. This means they are based on real experiences and support inclusive communication in practice. They are designed to help you communicate more inclusively in everyday work. What is included Communication Profile Questionnaire Use this to find out and record how an individual needs or prefers to communicate. Give
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Scotland’s Hidden Food Safety Crisis: Why thousands of people in Scotland Can’t Safely Identify Their Food Campaign coalition calls for braille food labelling as evidence reveals safety fears and daily indignities Alan’s hands were shaking as his family member checked the bag of chocolate mini eggs he’d bought for his transatlantic flight from America. The American version contained nuts – and Alan is severely allergic. “That could have been a very nasty surprise,” he says. “I could have been in serious trouble if I had discovered this the hard way whilst somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.” Alan, who has been
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Inclusive communication – scripts for the beginning of meetings Anyone can use these scripts at the beginning of any meeting. You can also download a Word version of the scripts: Download the Inclusive Communication Meeting Scripts (Word). Anyone can use these scripts at the beginning of any meeting. Using one of these scripts will Demonstrate an active commitment to inclusive communication. Remind people that every group includes people with diverse needs and preferences. Help everyone to adapt their communication to meet those diverse needs. Make it easier for everyone to join in and contribute.   In person meeting, face to
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“It shouldn’t be a luxury”: Marie Harrower on the Braille Food Labels Campaign Marie Harrower is a member of the Oban and District Access Panel, a braille reader since childhood, and the driving energy behind the Food Labelling Campaign. In general terms, this campaign aims to make the food packaging manufactures put braille labels on their products. In a broader sense, it’s not just about the manufacturing process – it’s about inclusion that had to be implemented a long time ago yet was repeatedly postponed. Although it’s 2024, people with sight loss are still at great disadvantage while shopping in
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News: Taking a Peek into Lip Reading Classes in Ayr Following the launch of the new Access Panel on 26 January, Disability Equality Scotland dived into exploring Ayrshire’s accessibility groups. We interviewed Frances Brown – a user representative in Sensory Impaired Support Group in Ayrshire. She’s also a new member of the South Ayrshire Access Panel. Frances attends lip reading classes to improve her communication after her hearing has deteriorated, prompting her to use hearing aids. Three lip reading classes currently take place in three towns across Ayrshire. One in Goldstone in the East, one in Largs in the North,
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Deaf, disabled and/or Neurodivergent – Careers at the BBC The BBC has made a commitment to be accessible first in everything we do, and to support our Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent talent to grow and develop with and alongside the BBC. We’re looking for Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people to join us in roles opening across Journalism, Content Production and Production Management to name a few. It is important for us have continued open dialogues and provide insight into the BBC as a workplace. In the next few months, we have a number of events we’d love for you to
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Easy Read Training – New Dates Available! Easy Read is an accessible format that makes written information easier to understand because it uses simple, jargon-free language, shorter sentences and supporting images. Our course is delivered online through a series of modules. The modules are communicative and interactive with lots of exercises for you to engage with and learn from. You will be expected to collaborate with others and contribute to groups. The practical exercises build up from simple everyday examples to complex, abstract concepts. You are introduced to the skills to format and create an Easy Read version of a
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Scottish Charities Demand Retailers Provide Braille Labelling on Food Products On World Braille Day, 04 January 2023, Sight Scotland, Oban and District Access Panel, and Disability Equality Scotland, launched a campaign demanding that new requirements are placed on retailers to provide braille labelling on food products. Currently, braille labelling is only required for medicines, meaning braille users are not able to identify the food products they wish to purchase and use. The charities are calling for a statutory duty to be placed on businesses and retailers to provide braille labels on food products detailing the name of the item and
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