Disability

Disability Equality Scheme

SPT’s Disability Equality Scheme 2007-10 was approved by the Partnership at its meeting of 14 December, 2007.

Download SPT's Disability Equality Scheme 2007-2010 (pdf format, 353kb, opens a new window).

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 has been amended by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 so that it now places a duty on all public authorities, when carrying out their functions, to have due regard to the needs of disabled people.

From 1 April 2007, SPT is subject to the specific duties of the Disability Equality Duty (from the Disability Discrimination Act 2005), following enactment of the Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2007.

The Disability Equality Duty aims to end discrimation against disabled people in accessing public services and employment. It encourages the positive promotion of equality and the need to address the root causes of disability discrimination. The duty is about public authorities like SPT working proactively towards delivering meaningful and demonstrable outcomes for disabled people.

The duty consists of two parts: the general duty and the specific duties. The latter requires SPT to apply a legally defined framework to deliver the general duty. This general duty requires SPT to give due regard, when carrying out our functions, to:

• promote equality of opportunity between disabled persons and other persons;
• eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Act;
• eliminate harassment of disabled persons that is related to their disabilities;
• promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons;
• encourage participation by disabled persons in public life; and
• take steps to take account of disabled persons’ disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons.

The specific duties require SPT to:

• publish a Disability Equality Scheme demonstrating how we intend to fulfil our general and specific duties;
• involve disabled people in the development of the Scheme.

The Scheme must include a statement of:

• the way in which disabled people have been involved in the development of the Scheme;
• our methods of impact assessment;
• the steps we will take towards fulfilling our general duty, through an “action plan”;
• our arrangements for gathering information in relation to employment and our functions;
• our arrangements for putting the information we have gathered to use, in particular in reviewing the effectiveness of our action plan and in preparing subsequent Schemes;

Further, SPT is required to:

• take the steps set out in the action plan and put into the effect the arrangements for gathering and making use of information;
• publish a report containing a summary of the steps taken under the action plan, the results of gathering information and the use to which the information has been put.

top of page

Disability and Transport

Disabled people can experience more difficulties than other people when using the transport system, for example:

• A wheelchair user may have difficulty accessing a station due to stairs.
• A visually impaired person may have difficulty finding their way round a bus station.
• A hearing impaired person may not hear an announcement about the running of their train.
• A person with a learning disability may not feel confident about using the bus.

The impacts of this on people’s lives can be significant: can’t get a job, can’t visit friends or family, can’t go to the shops.

How SPT helps

SPT has tried to issues like these in a number of ways, for example:

• Ongoing compliance with DDA;
• Dial-a-Bus;
• REACT;
• Tactile maps;
• Equality Impact Assessments (EqIA); and
• CCTV/Help points.

top of page

Disability and Work

SPT is keen to ensure that employees who may have a disability are not discriminated against at work. A disabled employee could experience discrimination in the following ways:

• A wheelchair user may find it difficult accessing parts of the office building.
• A visually impaired employee may not have the appropriate software for “screen reading” on their computer.

How SPT helps

SPT has tried to address these issues in a number of ways:

• Installing ramps for access to buildings.
• Ensuring there are accessible toilets in our buildings.
• Ensuring disabled employees get the right equipment to help them do their job, for example computer software, adapted workstation.

top of page