Meeting of the Parliament 05 December 2023
I am very glad to be speaking to the motion, because, for many reasons, it is an important time of year for us to mark. First, we are just five days away from the 75th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights that are to be universally protected. We have just marked the international day of disabled people, the theme of which was “United in action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for, with and by persons with disabilities”. As many people of faith and none celebrate various holidays and events at this time of year, it is a good opportunity to reflect on where we are as a society—as humans across the world—and how we are delivering on our principles and supporting people who have less than we have.
Creating a fairer and more equal society is a priority for the Government. We know that a fairer Scotland can be realised only when we secure equal rights for everyone—when someone’s age, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and family and socioeconomic status do not decide the course of their life or present them with barriers and prejudice. Despite great steps forward having been made, we know that, in many areas of life, disabled people are often the furthest away from having their rights realised.
The core principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights include that human rights are universal and inalienable—they belong to everyone equally. We are all
“free and equal in dignity and rights.”
“Dignity” is a familiar word to disabled people. From the perception that requiring support is undignified to suggestions that showing any kind of vulnerability, be it social or medical, means that someone is not living with dignity, so much pressure is placed on people to present a certain way, to mask feelings of pain and to suffer in silence.
As a disabled person, I know how strong we often are because we have had to be. I know how often we have been ignored because we are often easy to ignore. I know how much work is needed across the board not just to improve the visible and practical issues that we face, but to undo the systemic inequality that stacks everything up against us. Not only do we face discrimination and prejudice in the workplace, but we have to listen as Conservatives down south suggest that disabled people have value as human beings only if they are able to work and that relying on social security, which keeps many disabled people alive, is somehow a failure of character.
The changes to work capability assessments that are proposed by the Tories concern us greatly, because we know that they would lead to people with long-term health conditions or people who are disabled being at risk of benefit sanction. On 2 October, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice wrote to her counterpart in the United Kingdom Government, seeking assurance that any changes would be evidence based and in the interests of those they are there to support. However, research by the Department for Work and Pensions has found that the move from legacy benefits to universal credit has resulted in more and more disabled people being subject to sanctions, including those who are waiting for work capability assessments.
We are opposed to that widespread use of sanctions. It is clear that they do not work. However, the vilification of disabled people and the message that is being sent, that they are of less worth than others and that harm done to our community by welfare cuts is some kind of necessary evil, continue to show up again and again. That betrays an inaccurate and degrading view of disabled people.