The Alternative and Augmentative Communication Law

That the Parliament acknowledges the Scottish Government’s activity to support the effective implementation of the alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) law, which commenced in March 2018, including through the publication of a shared vision that “People who have difficulty speaking and who can be assisted by communication equipment have the right to get the equipment and support they need to use it, when they need it, whoever they are and wherever they live in Scotland, enabling them to participate in their communities and be fully included in society"; welcomes two independent reports from the AAC Collaborative, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and AAC SLT Leaders in Scotland, which examine the impact of the law from the perspective of people who use AAC and the speech and language therapists who provide equipment and support services in the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency and across the country; notes that the reports recognise that although AAC equipment and support provision has shown some improvement since 2018, there remain gaps in the provision of equipment and support needed to achieve the shared vision; acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to greater need for effective communication for all; commends those involved for bringing these reports to the parliament’s attention, and notes the calls encouraging the further and ongoing efforts by all service providers to ensure that everyone in Scotland who needs AAC equipment and the support to use it can access it in a timely manner for as long as they need it.