Memorandum from the Volunteer Development
Scotland (DDB 39)
MEMORANDUM TO THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE
DRAFT DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION BILL
1.1 Volunteer Development Scotland works
strategically and in partnership to promote, support and develop
volunteering in Scotland. Our mission is to learn about the "volunteering
Landscape of Scotland, and serve within an international context
as the National Centre of Excellence to appreciate and maximise
the positive impacts of volunteering on individuals, groups, organisations,
communities and society."
1.2 Volunteering makes a hugely significant
contribution to the lives of individuals and communities. It is
assuming a key role in government policy. For many disabled people
volunteering is a way to move closer to the labour market by gaining
work-related experience and new skills, increasing confidence,
building a CV and getting references.
1.3 We welcome the draft disability discrimination
bill. The bill can help to close the opportunity gap experienced
by disabled people, increase their independence, improve their
mobility and chances of employment.
1.4 We would like to draw the Committees
attention to the memorandum submitted, as part of this consultation,
by the Disability Rights Commission on 5 February 2003. We fully
endorse the Commission's call for the bill to be amended to include
an enabling power to cover volunteers along with an action plan
to develop good practice and review of the need to use the enabling
power. In addition we agree with the Commission that it would
be helpful if a pool of funding were available to support work
related adjustments for volunteers, and we join them in urging
the Joint Committee to recommend to the Department for Work and
Pensions consult on setting up such a fund.
February 2003
| 
