Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill Call for Views in British Sign Language (BSL)

Overview

The Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee wants to know your views on the Disability Commissioner (Scotland) Bill. The Bill was introduced into the Scottish Parliament as a Member’s Bill by Jeremy Balfour MSP on Thursday 8 February 2024.  

The Committee invites you to submit your views on the provisions of the Bill.  

The Bill and its accompanying documents are available on the Scottish Parliament’s website.  

What the Bill does 

The aim of the Bill is to establish a Disability Commissioner for Scotland, whose main function will be to promote and safeguard the rights of disabled people. 
 
The Commissioner will be independent, which means they will not be part of the Scottish Government.   

Jeremy Balfour MSP wants the Commissioner to: 

• advocate for disabled people at a national level, promoting awareness and understanding of the rights of disabled people
• review law, policy and practice relating to the rights of disabled people
• promote best practice by any person or organisation providing services for disabled people
• promote, commission, undertake and publish research on matters relating to the rights of disabled people
• have the power to undertake investigations into devolved matters if the issue relates to disabled people. 

Jeremy Balfour MSP has used the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland (CYPCS) as a template. He thinks that the CYPCS has an important influence and impact on matters relating to children’s rights. 

The Bill says that the Disability Commissioner for Scotland will have to encourage disabled people to get involved in the Commissioner’s work. They will also have to use inclusive communication so as many people as possible can be involved.   

How to submit your views

You can answer as many questions as you like – you do not need to answer all of them.

You can respond to each question using written text, or you can send us a BSL video with your responses through WhatsApp, which is currently at a pilot stage.  
 
When you answer the questions, please do not tell us your name or the name of other members of your family. Also, please do not tell us anything that could identify anyone else, for example, the name of a school or a teacher. If this is not followed, the Committee may have to ask you to review your responses before they can be accepted.

If you are responding by written text, please share your answers on this platform, using the text boxes provided below each question. 

If you want to respond through BSL video, please do so through WhatsApp. To respond in this way, please send a WhatsApp message to 07388850852. This will start a chat with us where you will be presented with questions which you can respond to with video. You have a maximum of 24 hours to complete your responses after starting the WhatsApp conversation. After you post each response, you will receive a reply from us. Click the button or scan the QR code below to use WhatsApp. 

If you send us a BSL video, we will translate it into written English. Only the translation will then be published on our website, not the original video, so your image will not be made public. 

Your responses will be published on this platform in English, along with your name, unless you tell us that you don’t want your name or your response to be published. 

Please state in your video if you wish the written English translation of your response to be published and if you wish your name to be published. If you do not want your response to be published, or if you want it to be published without your name, please tell us this at the beginning of your video.  

If you have any questions about this call for views, please email info@parliament.scot or call 0800 092 7500. To contact through BSL, you can call the same number through the Contact Scotland BSL video relay service: contactscotland-bsl.org   
 
The call for views closes at 11.59pm on Friday 17 May 2024.