Hansard

I declare my registered interest as a member of the Transport and General Workers Union.

As others have said, the debate is the culmination of more than two years of hard work by the committee. Like others, I thank the clerks, the Equal Opportunities Committee's disability reporter—Marilyn Livingstone—and the many other people who contributed to our inquiry over that time.

At an early stage, the purpose of the inquiry was set out as being

"to identify the issues that create barriers to the participation of disabled people, in particular in relation to accessing:

• work;

• further and higher education; and

• leisure."

We felt it necessary to have a limited remit. Now that we are at the end of the inquiry, we can see why.

It became clear at the beginning of the inquiry that there are a number of cross-cutting issues, such as transport, information and physical access, which we have heard about this morning and which permeate the experience of disabled people and create barriers for them. Perhaps the most fundamentally pervasive issue—which was touched on by Marlyn Glen—is attitudes. Obstacles to equality and participation can take a number of forms, such as structural, organisational and physical difficulties, but it is attitudinal barriers that can cause the most profound damage because they effectively underpin inequality by supporting the continuation of discrimination and inaction.

Negative perceptions have a significant impact on the lives of disabled people. They range from apprehension about responding to, and interacting with, disabled people and limited understanding of the nature of disability and the capabilities of disabled people, to more extreme forms of discrimination and harassment, such as that which is encountered disproportionately by people who have mental health problems, learning disabilities and visual impairments.

The Executive has a strong record in trying to effect attitudinal change through high-profile campaigns such as the see me campaign and one Scotland, but the Equal Opportunities Committee identified a number of key actions that would help to bolster that work, including the need to support and develop the quality and availability of disability equality training as a potentially effective solution to tackling negative attitudes. Many members have mentioned that vital measure already this morning. The report particularly suggested that DET has a major role to play in securing equity of treatment for disabled people both in the workplace and as consumers and service users. Unfortunately, many employers lack knowledge and experience of working with disabled people, and they sometimes have misguided perceptions that employing disabled people is expensive.

Our research found that the only disability training that senior managers often receive is limited to the legal requirements and the compliance of their organisation. That translates into a lowest-common-denominator approach and a can't-do attitude to disabled people. One illustration of that is the frequent citing of health and safety considerations as the reason why disabled people cannot participate in certain activities or workplaces. The value of having more widespread DET would be that it would cultivate a more responsive and open can-do attitude.

The committee found that a number of factors would be crucial to ensuring that more people receive DET and that it is of an appropriate standard: all equality training should include disability equality training; disability equality training should be devised by disabled people; and people who work directly with disabled people should have high-level disability equality training, which should also be available to people who work in medicine, health, education and the wider care sector.

As Marlyn Glen mentioned, there are a number of DET providers whose approaches and capabilities are quite diverse, which can be confusing. Our research suggests that there is a need for a central point in Scotland where trainers can register and where organisations can go to seek appropriate DET trainers. The committee recommends that the Scottish Executive develop an accreditation scheme and a quality assurance framework for DET, with a register of accredited providers. That would help to raise the standard and profile of DET, and it could help to ensure its more widespread delivery.

The relative invisibility of disabled people in public life was frequently mentioned in the inquiry—Marlyn Glen mentioned public appointments. There is a lack of realistic role models. Disabled people make up 20 per cent of the population, but are seldom represented as such. Consultees felt that, although high achievers such as Scotland's paralympians have a role to play in raising people's expectations, it can be unhelpful if they are the only public role models whom disabled people encounter. We need to take that on board. The committee believes that there is a need for a long-term strategic campaign led by the Executive that is aimed at tackling negative attitudes and at promoting the visibility of disabled people in society. We feel that the Scottish media should work more closely with disability organisations to present more positive images and role models.

We spoke to a number of people who feel that citizenship education has great potential to reach young people and instil positive attitudes, so I am pleased that the minister mentioned that in his opening speech. The committee recommends that disability equality training should be included in citizenship education in schools. There are many good sources for educational materials—for instance, there is the Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust's respect campaign. We need to adopt a more coherent approach to ensuring that such materials are used in Scottish schools.

I was going to discuss the role of trade unions, but I do not have enough time. I will just say that I am pleased that the Transport and General Workers Union has launched a new disability negotiators' guide

"to promote rights at work and encourage participation in the union."

Devolution was always intended to be a process rather than an event. The Equal Opportunities Committee's inquiry has shown us how much scope we have to effect change in ways that are specific to Scotland in areas of policy that are often seen as being largely reserved to Westminster. Coatbridge College in my constituency has been following the progress of the inquiry and has responded by setting up an access and inclusion group to tackle the perceived and real barriers for prospective students. The principal of the college commented:

"The committee's report and supporting recommendations provide the College Board of management, staff and students with clear direction on how to improve access to further and higher education. It will have immediate and sustained implications for the College by informing and influencing its strategic aims and objectives, organisational structure and estates strategy."

That shows the influence that the committee's report is already having and what we can achieve. I urge the Scottish Executive also to embrace that approach by adopting the committee's recommendations. I commend the report to Parliament.