Enable Scotland

Last updated

Enable Scotland (stylised as ENABLE Scotland; formerly the Scottish Society for the Parents of Mentally Handicapped Children [1] and Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped) is a member-led charity based in Scotland that supports people who have learning disabilities and their families. Founded in 1954 they campaign for equal rights for people who have learning disabilities and also provide personalised services to assist them with various problems in their lives. [2] Typical difficulties addressed include access to employment, transportation, support for families, and help with finances. [3] [4] [5] Enable Scotland also run the Scotland Employers Award. [6] Theresa Shearer FRSE is the charity's current Chief Executive. [7]

Contents

History

The idea for a support organisation for children who have learning disabilities dates back to February 28, 1944, when a group of five parents met together in a Scottish living room. They planned to create an organisation to campaign for services in Scotland that would benefit children who have learning disabilities and their parents. Their first meeting was held in the education offices in Glasgow, and was an unexpected success; over 350 people attended from across Scotland. [1] The founding members included Catherine Shapter, [1] and the physicists Joan Curran and Samuel Curran. [8]

Campaigns

They received media attention in 2007 from an advertising campaign that compared people with learning disabilities to pets. [9] [10] They were also featured on STV News for a campaign that highlighted the difficulties of elderly carers of disabled children. [11]

Controversies

The charity received criticism over their personal data handling after the personal data of 101 people was lost in November 2011. They have since committed to improving their practices in this area. [12]

Related Research Articles

The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities.

Special education is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual differences, disabilities, and special needs. This involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These interventions are designed to help individuals with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and in their community, which may not be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action for Children</span> United Kingdom childrens charity

Action for Children is a UK children's charity created to help vulnerable children and young people and their families in the UK. The charity has 7,000 staff and volunteers who operate over 475 services in the UK. They served a total of 671,275 children in 2021 and 2022. Action for Children's national headquarters is in Watford, and it is a registered charity under English and Scottish law. In 2017/2018, it had a gross income of £151 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communion and the developmentally disabled</span>

Holy Communion, also known as the Eucharist and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches. The elements of the rite are sacramental bread and wine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mencap</span> British charity advocating for people with learning disabilities

The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the United Kingdom that works with people with learning disabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Curran</span> Welsh physicist

Joan, Lady Curran, born Joan Elizabeth Strothers, was a Welsh physicist who played important roles in the development of radar and the atomic bomb during the Second World War. She devised a method of releasing chaff, a radar countermeasure technique credited with reducing losses among Allied bomber crews. She also worked on the development of the proximity fuse and the electromagnetic isotope separation process for the atomic bomb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intellectual disability</span> Generalized neurodevelopmental disorder

Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability and formerly mental retardation, is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant impairment in intellectual and adaptive functioning that is first apparent during childhood. Children with intellectual disabilities typically have an intelligence quotient (IQ) below 70 and deficits in at least two adaptive behaviors that affect everyday, general living. According to the DSM-5, intellectual functions include reasoning, problem solving, planning, abstract thinking, judgment, academic learning, and learning from experience. Deficits in these functions must be confirmed by clinical evaluation and individualized standard IQ testing. On the other hand, adaptive behaviors include the social, developmental, and practical skills people learn to perform tasks in their everyday lives. Deficits in adaptive functioning often compromises an individual's independence and ability to meet their social responsibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARC Association for Real Change</span>

ARC Association for Real Change is a UK membership organisation, which supports providers of services to people with a learning disability.

Special educational needs (SEN), also known as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the United Kingdom refers to the education of children who require different education provision to the mainstream system.

Judy Fryd was a British campaigner for mentally disabled children and the founder of The National Association of Parents of Backward Children, now Mencap. Throughout her life, she worked to increase awareness of learning disabilities and greater consideration for learning disabled individuals. Through the founding of her charity, she cemented this ethos, with the movement for greater aid to be given to those with learning disabilities continuing through the work of Mencap.

Disability abuse is when a person with a disability is abused physically, financially, sexually and/or psychologically due to the person having a disability. This type of abuse has also been considered a hate crime. The abuse is not limited to those who are visibly disabled or physically deformed, but also includes those with learning, intellectual and developmental disabilities or mental illnesses.

Disability and Development Partners (DDP) is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee that works with local partners in South Asia and Africa. "DDP works in a holistic way, recognizing the correlation between poverty and disability and the importance of tackling social, economic and human rights issues through access to income generation and education opportunities as well as providing physical rehabilitation services."

For many elderly carers of a relative who has a learning or other disability, future planning is an issue. The population of older parents who have children with a learning disability is growing and many of their children are likely to outlive them. In many cases the caring role can span up to seven decades, ending only with their death. Governments and other service providers cannot ignore the pressing needs of this population and their parent and sibling carers. In most countries, family carers provide inexpensive care for a person with a learning disability and other disabilities. This trend is set to continue in England. Demographic changes and the health needs of these two growing populations must be considered against government policy constraints and limited in-home and external care options in order to avoid a crisis. The consequences of not supporting these family carers will lead to crisis management, increase in distress and care giving burdens, and increased spending on unsuitable crisis placements. Housing and financial guidance are issues for caregivers.

Disability in China is common, and according to the United Nations, approximately 83 million people in China are estimated to have a disability.

Disability in the United Kingdom covers a wide range of conditions and experiences, deeply impacting the lives of millions of people. Defined by the Equality Act 2010 as a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, it encompasses various aspects of life, including demographics, legislation, healthcare, employment, and culture. Despite numerous advancements in policy and social attitudes, individuals with disabilities often encounter unique challenges and disparities.

People with disabilities in Sri Lanka typically face significant stigma and discrimination. The main causes for disability in Sri Lanka are poor hygiene, lack of medical care, the prevalence of 30 years of war, the aftereffects of the 2004 tsunami, and an increase in accidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disability in Singapore</span>

Singapore does not have a formal definition of disability. Singapore signed on to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2013 and coordinates the Enabling Masterplan with both government and non governmental organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disability in France</span>

Approximately 12 million French citizens are affected by disability. The history of disability activism in France dates back to the French Revolution when the national obligation to help disabled citizens was recognized, but it was "unclear whether or not such assistance should be public or private." Disabled civilians began to form the first associations to demand equal rights and integration in the workforce after the First World War. Between 1940 and 1945, 45,000 people with intellectual disabilities died from neglect in French psychiatric asylums. After the Second World War, parents of disabled children and charities created specialized institutions for disabled children for whom school was not accessible. In 2018, the French Government began to roll out a disability policy which aimed to increase the allowance for disabled adults to €900 per month, improve the digital accessibility of public services, and develop easy-to-read and understand language among other goals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Applebey</span> English civil servant and mental health campaigner

Mary Frances Applebey was an English civil servant and mental health campaigner. She was an early director of what is now the charity Mind, but was then the National Association for Mental Health (NAMH). She was involved when Christian Aid was formed, she saw off the Church of Scientology in court and was involved with the changes required to move to care in the community.

Sister Celeste Bowe MBE was an Irish Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul nun and nurse.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Catherine Shapter". Herald Scotland. June 7, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  2. ↑ "About Us". Enable Scotland. 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  3. ↑ "Getting around". Enable Scotland. 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  4. ↑ "In the family". Enable Scotland. 2010-05-23. Archived from the original on 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  5. ↑ "Money matters". Enable Scotland. 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  6. ↑ "Farm on shortlist for award". Forfar Dispatch. 2011-10-15. Archived from the original on 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  7. ↑ "Our Executive Team".
  8. ↑ Dalyell, Tim (February 19, 1999). "Joan Curran". The Independent. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  9. ↑ MacDonald, Calum (2007-01-11). "Row as charity posters compare disabled to pets". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  10. ↑ "Animals get greater charity share". BBC News. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  11. ↑ "Charity launches campaign for older carers". STV News. 2009-02-25. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  12. ↑ "Charity loses personal details". Dumfries and Galloway Standard. 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.