Recognising Lived Experience and Strengthening Disabled People’s Representation in Scottish Democracy

That the Parliament recognises the value of lived experience in informing effective scrutiny and legislation and ensuring that those views are embedded across legislation passed at the Scottish Parliament; commends events such as the Parliament Disability Summit, first held in 2023, which highlighted disability issues and allowed disabled people across Scotland, including in the Lothian region, to be at the forefront of political discussion; welcomes that the Summit will be held again on 21 February 2026 and notes the view that this Summit should continue on a biannual basis; notes with concern reports that disabled people remain significantly underrepresented in elected office in Scotland, with 5% of the current MSPs declaring a disability compared with 24% of the general population; understands that people from other protected groups also continue to face underrepresentation; acknowledges what it sees as the many barriers that exist in society which discourage or prevent disabled people and others with protected characteristics from standing for election; welcomes initiatives such as the Access to Elected Office Fund run by Inclusion Scotland, which, it understands, helped 14 disabled candidates in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election through assistance with transport, communication and/or personal assistance, and notes the calls on all political parties, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and the Scottish Government to continue to work collaboratively to remove barriers, promote inclusion and strengthen disabled people’s representation and participation in Scotland’s political institutions, while also taking steps to improve representation and participation for all groups protected under the Equality Act 2010.