Katy Gordon

In back to back hustings on Monday, Katy set out Lib Dem plans to support people with disability. She attended the Glasgow Disability Alliance hustings in the east of the city centre, where a packed audience of people with a disability and care workers grilled the panel on a range of issues. She then raced over to the Learning Disability Scotland hustings in St Stephen’s Church in Bath Street, where an equally knowledgeable audience put the panel to the test. In her speeches and during questions, Katy stressed what the party had achieved so far:

• Free bus travel for people with a disability
• Extending access to central heating programme for families iwth a disabled child
• Introduction of Direct Payments for health and community care services
• Created a presumption of mainstream schooling for young people with additional support needs except in exceptional circumstances

Katy also acknowledged there is still more to do to ensure the Direct Payments system is as effective as possible. Lib Dem plans for the next parliament focus on establishing Centres for Independent Living, to provide a range of services including to older people with a learning disability, mental health service users and those with a physical disability. Key to these centres would be advice and support to make the most of direct payments, advocacy to identify support needs and peer support. Katy also stressed the party’s desire to look beyond the disability and encourage those that can to start their own businesses, get involved with volunteering and fully involve those with a disability in planning and taking forward the independent living agenda. As Katy pointed out:

“The problem is not the limits of disabled people but the limits society places on them.”