Meeting of the Parliament 05 December 2023
Worldwide, more than 1 billion people are disabled, and in Scotland, that figure is well over 1 million. That is a quarter of our population whose day-to-day activities are limited by disability or a long-term health problem. That is double the worldwide average, but it is actually something to be celebrated: it is hundreds of thousands of children who were born with disabilities and would not have made it a few generations ago, but have; hundreds of thousands of adults who have suffered injury or disease and would not have made it a few generations ago, but have; and hundreds of thousands of older adults who would have died of heart disease, stroke or cancer a few generations ago, but are still here.
The increase in disability as time goes by is all too clear in the numbers. Eleven per cent of children are disabled, but that figure doubles to 23 per cent for working-age adults. By pension age, it doubles again to 46 per cent and, by the time we hit 80, it is more than 60 per cent.
Many people think that disability is a them-and-us issue, but it is not. Disability could happen to any of us. Disability is not an exclusive club; people can join it any day, and, eventually, most of us will. For many of us, it is more a question of how many years we will spend disabled and how many years we will spend able bodied.
During your disabled years, do you want to make a meaningful and productive contribution to society? Half of disabled people do not have employment, even though many want to work. During your disabled years, do you want to be treated with dignity and respect? The half of disabled people who are employed are twice as likely to face discrimination, harassment and bullying in the workplace. During your disabled years, do you want to be warm and well fed? Half of disabled people cannot afford their heating, and three quarters of households who use a food bank have a disabled family member.
We all know what we want for ourselves now and in our futures, but we should be looking at how to improve the lives of today’s disabled people and getting it right for all in the future. The upcoming human rights bill, which will include disability rights and will seek to incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into Scots law, is a good thing. That is a vital and urgent step, as shown by the comments of the UN’s special rapporteur, who said that the UK is failing its international obligations on fundamental economic and social rights.
Although we are limited by the failing UK framework, we must do all that we can within the limits of devolution. Social security is a human right, and it should be here for all of us, should we need it. Disabled people should have access to the support that they need to lead full and independent lives. Although the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament cannot totally shield disabled people from the UK Government’s plans to cut benefits by £4 billion, things such as the adult disability payment, the child disability payment and the carer support payment from Social Security Scotland make a real difference.
We also need to focus our effort on those who need it the most. Forty-one per cent of children who live in poverty come from a household with a disabled family member. The Scottish child payment provides targeted help to those families. The independent living fund provides focused support for young adults who are making the transition from childhood to adulthood. Since its opening, the fund has delivered £12 million via 6,500 transition fund grants to more than 5,000 young disabled people.
It is not just about funding. We need a joined-up system, and the Scottish Government will soon publish the first national transitions to adulthood strategy, which will make the transition journey smoother and more positive.
In the debate, we have heard about the need to listen to the voices of lived experience. We must all do that. As a minister, I did so. I spent a lot of time listening to disabled people and hearing about the difficulties that they faced and what they needed to make their lives better, and I am quite sure that Ms Roddick is doing exactly the same.
I want independence for my country, but I also want all Scots to be able to lead independent lives, and that includes all our disabled citizens. We must make their independence a reality.