Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities

We have been left deeply disheartened by the Scottish Government’s decision not to proceed with the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill.  In 2021, the Scottish Government committed to delivering meaningful change through this legislation. The Bill represented an important opportunity to protect rights, strengthen accountability and improve outcomes and experiences across health, education, employment and wider public services for …

Healthy Homes, Healthy Futures is an important reminder that our health is shaped not only in hospitals, GP surgeries or pharmacies, but in the places where we live our everyday lives. For people with learning disabilities, that connection is particularly important.  A healthy home is about more than a safe, warm and accessible building. It is about having choice and …

Scottish Learning Disability Week returns from 7–13 September 2026, with people and organisations across Scotland coming together under this year’s theme, “I am here… to be seen.” Scottish Learning Disability Week celebrates the lives, talents and contributions of people with learning disabilities and calls for their voices to have real influence over the decisions that affect them. Coordinated by the …

We welcome the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government and its ambition to build public services around people, invest earlier to prevent harm, and strengthen Scotland’s human rights framework.  The lives of people with learning disabilities can be improved through stronger rights protections, support for independent living, community-based support, tackling the root causes of violence against women and girls with learning …

Human rights must be at the heart of public service reform Last month, in its submission to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Service Reform Committee, SCLD called for Scotland’s public service reform programme to put human rights, and the experiences of people who use services at its heart. In its submission to the Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny call for views, SCLD outlined …

Important information about your personal information SCLD is committed to protecting the personal information people share with us. This notice is to let you know about a cyber security incident involving one of our software providers, Beacon CRM. What happened? Beacon CRM is a secure customer relationship management (CRM) system that SCLD uses to store contact information and manage our …

The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) is delighted to announce the appointment of five new Trustees: Amro Alkado, Gordon Downie, Beth Morrison, Barry Sillers and Natasha Spassiani.   Together, they bring a wealth of expertise, lived experience and perspectives that will help guide the organisation as it continues working towards a Scotland where people with learning disabilities live full, safe, loving …

When the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act came into force on 16 July 2024, Scotland took a historic step. The Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child described it as “the best piece of children’s rights legislation in the world”. It moved children’s rights from promise to legal duty.  …

SCLD has been a participant in The Public Perception of Adult Social care project, based at the University of Stirling. Led by Richard Brunner and Jen Wallace its focus is on how adult social care and support is understood and how communication shapes support for long-term change.   At its heart, social care support is about helping people live well. It …

SCLD Chief Executive Bruce Adamson recently took part in Eurochild’s annual conference which brought together children and young people, civil society organisations, public authorities, academics and child rights advocates from across Europe. The conference focused on many of the issues that sit at the heart of rights-based systems: participation, inclusion, disability, mental health, deinstitutionalisation, digital safety, poverty, protection and the need for stronger public services.   The programme was co-moderated by …