Our Act Now for Autistic Rights campaign has had a fantastic response so far, with supporters sending over 5,500 letters to party leaders, calling on their support for the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill to the Scottish Parliament as soon as possible.
However, we need to keep pushing for the urgent change autistic people and their families need in order to access the rights, services and opportunities they are entitled to.
By signing and sharing this petition, you can call on the First Minister John Swinney to include the LDAN Bill in September's Programme for Government, which sets out the Scottish Government’s key priorities and legislative programme over the next year.
Dear First Minister,
September's Programme for Government will be a crucial opportunity to introduce long overdue legislation which would help secure the rights of the autistic people and their families.
As you know, the Scottish Government previously committed to introducing the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill back in 2021. The decision to delay the Bill came as a real disappointment to many who had contributed to extensive public consultation, including those who had shared difficult and traumatic experiences in the hopes their reflections would lead to a positive impact on their lives.
The autistic community faces markedly poorer outcomes than the general population across areas including health, education, employment and criminal justice. Through proposals such as statutory strategies and mandatory training, the LDAN Bill can have a transformative impact in ensuring people receive the support they need before reaching a crisis point. There must be stronger accountability across the public sector and this Bill can lay a foundation which respects, upholds and promotes autistic people's rights.
We need you to Act Now by introducing this much-needed Bill to ensure not just autistic people, but people with learning disabilities and the wider neurodivergent community receives the support they are entitled to and are not just able to participate in their education, careers and communities, but thrive in them.
