Rights Now

Enable members have been campaigning for decades for new laws to protect and promote their rights.

Ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021, Enable, National Autistic Society Scotland and Scottish Autism joined in the Our Voice, Our Rights campaign calling on political parties to commit to a commissioner for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

We are pleased the Scottish Government has committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill in this Parliament. We believe this Bill needs to set out sufficient powers to protect rights and establish a Commissioner role to work with public bodies to promote the human rights of people with learning disabilities. This should include powers of investigation when these rights are not being respected and fulfilled, the power to take legal action when people's rights are breached and the power to make recommendations to the Scottish Parliament on what actions are needed so these rights are always upheld.

Rights Now! has been launched to ensure the new Bill really does make a difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities, and addresses the issues they believe are most important. That is why we have asked for their views in this survey, as well as their families and people who support them, on what needs to be included in the Bill.