Equality and diversity
Dumfries and Galloway Council is committed to equality of opportunity for all people within our community. We have published a range of policies and reports which show how we are meeting our legal duties.
Everyone should have the same chances to do what they can but some people may need extra help. The Equality Act 2010 intends to make Britain a fairer and equal place for everyone. We have a duty to:
- eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation
- promote equality of opportunity
- foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
Monitoring equality
Equality monitoring helps us comply with legislation.
We routinely monitor equality and diversity information, for example as part of forms and surveys. All answers are confidential and help us to continually improve our services and ensure that we get them right.
Impact assessments
We assess whether the decisions we make are likely to impact on different groups of people across the region. The results of our impact assessments should highlight any barriers or discrimination that might affect people using our services.
British Sign Language (BSL)
The BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 requires public bodies in Scotland to publish plans every six years, showing how they will promote and support BSL.
Our second BSL was published in June 2024 and was developed through engagement with our local community and is a reflection of the insight provided by the participants and our shared ambitions for our work over the next six years. Our BSL Plan is available in BSL and English and can be found below:
Deaf BSL users can contact us through Contact Scotland BSL who provide a free online BSL interpreting video relay service (VRS) 24/7. The deaf BSL user must be registered with Contact Scotland BSL and have the app downloaded to their device. This service can also be used to contact GP's, workplaces and of course family and friends.
Further information
We are part of the Community Planning partnership in Dumfries and Galloway along with representatives from a wide range of partners, including representatives from:
- DGVoice
- Dumfries and Galloway Interfaith Group
- Dumfries and Galloway Multicultural Association
- LGBT Plus
- LGBT Youth Scotland
We work with our partners to challenge the barriers that people face arising from discrimination and disadvantage in line with 9 protected characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
Find out more about the Partnership's equality and diversity work
