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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Scottish Ministers' Duty forms part of the duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people contained in the Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2005. The Scottish Ministers are required to publish reports which give an overview of progress towards equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people made by public authorities; and to set out their proposals for the coordination of action by public authorities so as to bring about further progress towards equality of opportunity.
1.2 This report was commissioned by Scottish Ministers to enable reporting on the progress which is being made towards equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people across the Rural Affairs and Environment ministerial portfolio. The research was undertaken by Philomena De Lima, UHI Policyweb, University Of The Highlands and Islands. It is one of 7 reports published in response to the 'Scottish Ministers' Duty'. Collectively the 7 reports constitute the Scottish Ministers' response to the duty.
1.3 This report contains two thematic sections corresponding to focus areas in the Rural Affairs and Environment portfolio:
- Rural development
- Access to the rural environment and natural heritage
1.4 Each of these areas of focus contains:
- an introduction to the relevant policy context;
- research and statistical evidence on position of disabled people and progress towards greater equality;
- findings from examination of the disability equality schemes;
- a note on the use of categories of disabilities in these schemes;
- a note on the evidence they contain of consultation and involvement of disabled people in the development of the schemes; and
- a summary and conclusion.
1.5 This report considers progress on disability equality based on consideration of publicly available material only: in particular, the disability equality schemes and annual reports of relevant public bodies.
1.6 The disability equality duty came into force in December 2006 and the legislation and the documents which flow from it (disability equality schemes and annual reports) are new. The time period and amount of documentation on which to base this report was therefore necessarily limited. No interviews with public authorities were undertaken in the preparation of the report and it has therefore not been possible to clarify all points raised in reports. Nor has it been possible to take account of all work in progress or unpublished plans.
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