Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Tom Arthur on 27 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress that it has made with its commitment to consider the adoption of the definition of deafblindness in Scotland, in light of International Deafblind Awareness Week 2025.
The Scottish Government recognises the distinct challenges faced by the deafblind community and we want to ensure that those living with deafblindness in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support.
We intend to take forward work to adopt the Nordic definition of deafblindness as a functional model in Scotland to help ensure individuals receive the recognition and support they need.
We appreciate the hard work undertaken by Deafblind Scotland, the CPG on Deafness and the CPG on Visual Impairment to raise awareness of the definition and progress towards its adoption in Scotland. We will work closely with them on the next steps to implement this definition.