DPO Movement in Scotland Letter to First Minister warns that “disabled people are dying of poverty”

Disabled People’s Organisations in Scotland wrote to the First Minister on the 4th September 2023, to urge him to use the new parliamentary session to reset his relationship with disabled people and our organisations.

More importantly, we asked the First Minister in Scotland to prioritise disabled people in Scotland by asserting his leadership to drive forward an Immediate Priorities Plan to tackle the poverty and inequalities which are blighting lives, eroding rights and leading to poorer life outcomes for disabled people, including dying in higher numbers.

The letter was written by GDA and supported by Inclusion Scotland, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living, Self-Directed Support Scotland, People First Scotland and Disability Equality Scotland.

The First Minister must use the new programme for government as an opportunity to show his commitment to prioritising disabled people in his policies and tackling the rife poverty and inequalities we are facing.