Equality and Diversity

Disability Equality Scheme - This document is draft pending Comhairle approval

Introduction

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is a local authority incorporated under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, having its principal offices at Sandwick Road, Stornoway. Like other Scottish local authorities, the Comhairle is a “most purpose” authority, with duties and powers covering a wide range of activities.

The Comhairle is committed to promoting the rights of people with disabilities, both in its service provision and in its employment and other practices. The Comhairle has developed this Disability Equality Scheme with the aim of complying with the law, tackling discrimination and meeting the needs of all citizens within the Western Isles.  The development of the Scheme also provides the opportunity to begin the process of improving joint disability action with all appropriate stakeholders. 

The Comhairle provides a wide range of services for users who may be from the Western Isles or who may visit. The Western Isles have a population of around 26,000 although this increases significantly during the summer tourist season. The local resident population has a relatively older age profile than the Scottish population generally, with fewer young people in the 18-35 age range than elsewhere in Scotland. Many older people have disabilities and many of the Comhairle’s services are already geared towards assisting residents to make a positive contribution irrespective of any disability.

The Comhairle has a variety of policies which deal with rights of access across a range of services. Some of these arise from best practice in professional areas such as Education and Social Work; others are driven by legal requirements such as in Employment Law. The Comhairle has had an Equality of Treatment and Access Policy since 2004, which creates a multi-strand approach towards managing Equalities across the Comhairle’s services.

Other policies and requirements demonstrate the Comhairle’s willingness to deal positively with diversity in the Community. The Comhairle’s Gaelic Policy, for example, creates parity of esteem for Gaelic speakers in line with the requirements of the Gaelic Language Act. The Comhairle’s policy document ‘Creating Communities of the Future’ (which embeds 15 themes of Sustainability into the work of the Comhairle) deals with equal treatment for remote and rural areas and manages our approach to community development.