The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) has launched a new app, ‘Human Rights Town’, designed to help people with learning disabilities to understand their human rights.
The development of the app has been led by a group of people with learning disabilities who have been working with SCLD and digital design company, Publishing Bureau, to create the finished product.
The app invites users to travel around a virtual ‘Human Rights Town’ where they encounter different scenarios at each location, such as using public transport or working at the supermarket.
Through practical examples ‘Human Rights Town’ introduces users to several of their human rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and asks them to choose whether they believe their rights are being respected or not in each scenario. Users have the option of further explanation at each location. Each scenario has been voiced over by a person with a learning disability who has helped to develop the app.
Lindsay, a member of the App Development Group said:
“This app will give important information in an accessible way to people with learning disabilities and learning difficulties who often get left behind when new information about our human rights is produced.”
Charlie McMillan, SCLD’s Chief Executive said:
“An app like this cannot come at a more important time for people with learning disabilities in Scotland. We know that, still, many people with learning disabilities are not able to access some of their most basic human rights. We’ve seen this most recently during the Coronavirus pandemic, where many people with learning disabilities experienced cuts to their social care packages which resulted in a loss of choice and independence in their daily lives.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is due to be incorporated into Scots Law and this will mean that for the first time people with learning disabilities will have their rights enshrined in law. It is more important than ever that we make human rights real for people with learning disabilities in their communities.
To make rights real we need to help people with learning disabilities understand their human rights under the UNCRPD, so they are empowered to stand up for their rights and advocate for the change they want to see. Our new app ‘Human Rights Town’ is a key step in raising awareness of human rights among people with learning disabilities.”
You can download Human Rights Town for free from Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Download the app user guide here.