National Autistic Society Scotland is calling on the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill to be introduced as soon as possible in order to bring about real change for autistic people and their families in Scotland.

As part of the Act Now for Autistic Rights campaign, our charity has launched a petition urging the First Minister, John Swinney, to include the LDAN Bill in September’s Programme for Government, which sets out the Government’s key priorities and legislative programme for the coming year.

Previously, we called on supporters and campaigners to write to party leaders during the election period, with over 5,500 letters sent urging all parties to commit to legislation which has the potential to have a transformative impact to the daily lives of the autistic community across healthcare, education, criminal justice, housing and communities.

The LDAN Bill can have a transformative impact on autistic people and their families. Implementing legally binding national and local plans would build a national picture of need and ensure consistent service provision, while mandatory training in areas of the public sector like health, education and criminal justice will ensure autistic people’s needs are identified and the appropriate support given before reaching a crisis point. 

Years of work and consultation has gone into the LDAN Bill, with many in the autistic community sharing difficult and traumatic experiences, hoping their reflections would shape legislation which can make a real difference. The publication of draft provisions prior to the election was also a clear demonstration of how well-developed proposals are and we are calling on the new Scottish Government to make finishing this work an early priority in the new Scottish Parliament.

Rob Holland, Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: 

“Our campaign had a fantastic response during the election period. Thousands of letters were sent urging all parties to commit to the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill, demonstrating a significant level of support for legislation long overdue in helping secure the rights of autistic people and their families.

The importance of the LDAN Bill in tackling the inequalities faced by autistic people and their families cannot be underestimated and this legislation is a vital opportunity to improve outcomes and recognise the rights of some of our most marginalised communities.

With the election behind us and attention now turning to the first Programme for Government, we need everyone who wants to see urgent change to sign our petition and ensure this vital piece of legislation is introduced as early as possible in the new term.”

You can call on the First Minister to Act Now for Autistic Rights by signing the petition.