IT is pleasing to see The Herald ask such an important question as "Who speaks up for disabled people?" Unfortunately, however, Stephen Naysmith's article is dangerously misleading in its representation of Enable Scotland ("Problems facing disabled charities highlight sector's challenges", The Herald, February 18).
The closure of three Glasgow day centres is being led by Glasgow City Council. Enable Scotland played no part in this programme. We did respond to concerns about the closures, however, by proposing and developing a Public Social Partnership - a collaboration of 13 organisations - to work collectively with Glasgow City Council social work department to support the development of quality learning-disability service provision for the future. This collective approach, which ensures the voices of people who have learning disabilities are heard, is working well, but is about much more than the closure of three day centres.
Enable Scotland has either a voluntary or service delivery presence in almost all of Scotland's 32 local authority areas. To suggest we are unable to support people who have learning disabilities and/or carers because of this collaborative work in one of these local authorities is again misleading. We have more than 4000 members across Scotland, and I meet with many of them on a regular basis. Our members will not allow me to "lose sight of [Enable Scotland's] true constituency".
Enable Scotland has a 60-year history of not only speaking up for disabled people, but more importantly, supporting people with learning disabilities to speak up for themselves. Enable Scotland is running a number of highly effective campaigns, all instigated and developed directly with our members. We are campaigning to ensure older carers have emergency and future plans in place so they can have much-deserved peace of mind about the future for their son or daughter when they are no longer able to care for them.
We are campaigning to improve the accessibility of rail travel for people who use wheel chairs. We are campaigning to improve the educational experience of young people who have learning disabilities in mainstream education.
We are campaigning to raise awareness of, and to try to reduce, the level of bullying and harassment experienced by people who have learning disabilities. All of these campaigns are making good progress and are in no way hindered or compromised by the "awkward tightrope" referred to in your article.
It is pleasing to see The Herald ask such an important question as "Who speaks up for disabled people?". Enable Scotland's voice is loud and clear. Jumping to conclusions does no-one any favours.
Peter Scott,
CEO, Enable Scotland,
Inspire House, 3 Renshaw Place, Eurocentral, Lanarkshire.
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