Campaign for leader to champion the rights of disabled

The Our Voice Our Rights campaign, launched by ENABLE Scotland, National Autistic Society Scotland and Scottish Autism, is calling on the major political parties to commit to a commissioner for autistic people and people with a learning disability in the forthcoming Holyrood election.

The campaign aims to make Scotland the best country in the world for the 56,000 autistic people and the 120,000 people with a learning disability and their families who live here.

In the run-up to May’s election, the three charities are standing together with autistic people and people who have a learning disability to call for the role of commissioner – a world first, established in law, to champion their human rights.

The commissioner would have a powerful voice, improving access to services and advocating on people’s behalf when they cannot – and helping them to have the choice and control to live free from discrimination.

The drive for a commissioner is backed by broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove whose son, Jack, is autistic.

He said:“this campaign has the capacity for real, positive change. As a family, we’ve been lucky in that Jack got his autism diagnosis early on as a child but, like all parents, I worry about what happens when he grows up and leaves school.

“We, of course, want him to be independent, have his own place, a relationship, a job and all the usual things that parents hope for. But we also know that those are likely to be challenging for him. He’s going to need that bit of extra help and support.

“I believe establishing a commissioner with a legal obligation to look into different aspects of public life would make a huge difference.

“It would help Scotland to lead the way to create a society that fully includes and values autistic people.”

The facts:

66 per cent of autistic people in Scotland say they feel socially isolated.

Fewer than one in three people with a learning disability can name at least one close friend.

60 per cent of children with a learning disability said they felt lonely at school.

Less than a third of autistic people are in some kind of paid work.

More than 70 per cent of autistic people have had a mental health condition.;

People who have a learning disability die 20 years younger than the general population.