Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill: consultation

As you complete your response, each page will provide the option to 'Save and come back later' at the bottom. This means you can save your progress and return to the consultation at any time before it closes. If you don't use this feature and leave the consultation midway through, your response will be lost.

Once you have submitted your response, you can enter your email address to get a pdf copy of your answers sent to you.

On the 'About You' page, organisations will have the opportunity to tell us more about their work and/or how their response was informed.

After the consultation has closed there will be a few months delay before any responses are published. This is because we must check any responses to be published abide by our Terms of Use.

A analysis report will usually be published some months after the consultation has closed. This report will summarise the findings based on all responses submitted. It will be published on the Scottish Government website and you may be notified about it if you choose to share your email address with us. You can also join our consulation mailing list where we regularly list newly published analysis reports (as well as new consultations).

We are working with stakeholders to organise a series of meetings and events.  If you would like more information or to run an event please get in touch at LDAN.Bill@gov.scot.

Please find a list of events below.  Please note that some of these may have already taken place.

Online Consultation Event for Health and Social Care Professionals

Wednesday 13^th March 2024 from 15:00-16:30.   Sign-up here.
 

Enable

Enable are an organisation who support people with learning disabilities.  You can find out more about Enable.

Enable have a series of events planned:

If you are interested in attending please email communities@enable.org.uk to register your attendance.

Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD)

SCLD have developed some resources which include short films, briefing papers, and an Easy-Read Glossary - Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill consultation - Information - SCLD.  People with Learning Disabilities will find these helpful to understand the process for a Bill and how to respond to our consultation.

SCLD are also holding events. Find out more information.

There are 2 dates to choose from.  The events are open to all and accessible for people with learning disabilities.  

Tuesday 27 February 10.30am to 12.30pm  -  click to register 

Thursday 29 February 2pm - 4pm  -  click to to register

Down's Syndrome Scotland LDAN Bill Engagement Events:

Down’s Syndrome Scotland are hosting a number of sessions for our community over the next two months to help everyone understand and respond to the LDAN Consultation Paper.

If you have Down’s syndrome or are a parent, carer or family member of someone with Down’s syndrome or you work to support someone with Down’s syndrome we’d love for you to come and join these sessions with us and get involved in responding to the consultation.

In February we ran three sessions to share information about where you can find out more about the Bill and the consultation paper and in March, there are a number of additional sessions where we are keen to hear what our Community think.

You can book onto any of these sessions by simply clicking on the meeting date below that suits you best or via DSS members platform Hub21.

5th March 2024 7pm - 8pm

13th March 2024 2pm - 3pm

28th March 2024 10.30am - 11.30am

Resources to help you respond to the consultation, including “understanding the consultation in six slides”, a LDAN Bill Q+A and a Makaton video can all be found here: LDAN Bill Consultation | Downs Syndrome Scotland.

If you are not a member of DSS and are a parent/carer of someone with Down's Syndrome and would be interested in becoming a member and attending these events you can join here Become a member or call 0300 030 2121.

FASD Hub Scotland

FASD Hub Scotland provide a support service for parents/carers (adoptive and biological parents, foster carers, kinship carers and step parents) across Scotland who live with children, young people and adults with or without a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) diagnosis.  You can find out more about FASD Hub.

FASD Hub Scotland are hosting a consultation event for parents, carers and people with FASD on:

Thursday 14^th March at 10am – 11.30am on Zoom.

As the Bill is quite large, we will be focussing on key elements of it, including its reach and definition, children and young people, health and wellbeing and education. We will be in touch with people who register with further information. 

The feedback received will be collated and submitted to the consultation on behalf of our FASD community. You are still very welcome to submit your own individual response. 

Please join us and help us make sure our FASD community is heard.  Register here.

ARC Scotland - National Involvement Network

ARC Scoltand's National Involvement Network (NIN) is a network of people with additional support needs. The NIN is going to be running a series of workshops to hear what you think about the ideas in the Bill. They will talk about some of the different Bill themes together. They will listen to what you say, and share it with Scottish Government, so that your voice and opinion is heard.

There will be 5 chances for you to take part and share what you think about the different themes in the Bill:

In person:

• NIN meeting, Glasgow, Wed 6th March – they will talk about ‘Accessibility’.  ‘Inclusive and Accessible Communications’ is one of the themes in the Bill.

Online:

• Health and Wellbeing – workshop on Zoom, Thursday 14th March, 10.30 – 12.
• Transport – workshop on Zoom, Tuesday 19th March, 10.30 – 12
• Social Care – workshop on Zoom, Wednesday 27th March, 2 – 3.30pm
• Housing and Independent Living – workshop on Zoom, Friday 5th April, 2 – 3.30pm

For more information you can contact the NIN by email at:  nin@arcuk.org.uk.

Autism and Neurodiversity North Scotland (A-ND)

A-ND are hosting an open evening, inviting their stakeholders to take part in the consultation for the Scottish Government’s groundbreaking LDAN initiative. To help make this proposed Bill a reality, they need your help to make sure the voices of our communities are heard.

When: Wednesday 6th March
Where: 33 Carnie Drive, Aberdeen, AB25 3AN
Time: 5 - 7 PM

National Autistic Society Scotland (NASS)

NAS Scotland and Scottish Autism are hosting a public webinar for autistic peole and their families.

When: Thursday 28th March

Registration link

NAS Scotland will also be hosting private webinars for people NAS Scotland supports and their families.

When: Monday 11th March and Wednesday 13th March

The Assembly

The Assembly are running some in-person consultation events and you are welcome to come along to these – you can also join these sessions online using Zoom.  Please contact Sonya Bewsher at sonya@theassembly.scot to book a place or message through the Facebook page.

Dates and locations are:

Glasgow LDAN Bill Consultation Workshop - HYBRID

Tuesday April 9th, 2024 
12 - 5 pm
In-person at:  Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities
The Albany, 44 Ashley Street, Glasgow G3 6DS
OR
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 814 6150 0188

Dundee LDAN Bill Consultation Workshop - HYBRID

Wednesday April 10th, 2024 
9:30 am - 3pm
In-person at:   ScrapAntics, Wellgate shopping Centre
Victoria Road, Dundee  DD1 2DB
OR 
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 814 6150 0188

Edinburgh LDAN Bill Consultation Workshop - HYBRID

Monday April 15th, 2024 
9:30 am - 3pm
In-person at:  Greyfriars Charteris Centre, 138-140 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9RR
OR
Join Zoom Meeting 
Meeting ID: 814 6150 0188

The Scottish Assembly believes that learning disability and autism should not get in the way of individuals being involved in the political process and having their say.
 
Our aim is to make politics accessible for people with a learning disability and autistic people across Scotland so that they can engage as active, equal, and informed citizens in Local, Scottish and General Elections, Consultations, Policy Making and Leadership and Engagement work.
 

Keep visiting this section for further updates on consultation events!