Closed petition PE1997: Introduce mandatory braille labelling for food products sold in Scotland
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce new legal requirements on retailers to provide braille labelling on food products detailing the name of the item, and the item’s use by or sell by date.
Previous action taken
We contacted Stuart McMillan MSP, who lodged a Parliamentary Question on this issue. In response, the Minister for Public Health indicated food labelling legislation will be reviewed, with future policy expected to include consideration of mandatory braille labelling.
Background information
Responsibility for labelling legislation has now moved to the Scottish and UK Governments.
Oban and District Access Panel, Disability Equality Scotland and Sight Scotland are calling on the Scottish Government to introduce new requirements on retailers to provide braille labelling on food products. Currently, braille labelling is only required for medicines, leaving braille users at a disadvantage to sighted shoppers when identifying food products they wish to purchase and use.
We see the shift in responsibility for labelling legislation as an opportunity for the Scottish Government to introduce a national policy which makes braille labelling into a statutory duty for businesses and retailers. This is an essential requirement for blind and partially sighted people, which would allow visually impaired individuals to safely identify, buy and use food items in both retailers and when at home.
Follow this link for more details on the campaign: https://inclusivecommunication.scot/braille-campaign
This petition was considered by the Scottish Parliament
1,547 signatures