In celebration of the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 03 December, the SNP Government yesterday published its Disability Delivery Plan.
The plan commits to halving the employment gap in the public sector between disabled people and the rest of the working population and sets out a range of actions to ensure better access to work.
These proactive steps sit in stark contrast to the actions of the UK Tory Government whose welfare cuts were last month slammed by a UN report concluding that such measures “disproportionally and adversely affected the rights of persons with disabilities” and that “the threshold of grave or systematic violations of the rights of persons with disabilities” was met. The same report recognised the work of the SNP Government in mitigating the worst excesses of Tory cuts.
Calling on the UK government to reverse their damaging welfare cuts which so unfairly impinge upon disabled people, Kenneth Gibson said:
“It's important to do more to break down barriers that stop disabled people entering employment.
“That’s why the SNP Government’s Disability Action Plan is such a significant step forward, with a clear commitment to halving the employment gap between disabled people and the rest of the workforce in the public sector. On top of that, there’s substantial support to give more disabled people - and crucially more young people - employment opportunities.
“Meanwhile the Tories should take stock of the recent UN report which castigated their punitive welfare cuts which disproportionately impact disabled people."
The link to the Scottish Government's announcement can be found here.
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