Disability hate crime has no place in our society, according to South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth.

The local MSP recently attended an exhibition in the Scottish Parliament run by I Am Me Scotland to learn more about the work they do.

I Am Me Scotland works in partnership with Police Scotland to raise awareness and tackle disability hate crime. They have two main multi-award winning initiatives – Keep Safe and Our I Am Me Educational Resources.

Keep Safe is a national initiative that aims to make our communities safer for everyone. There are over 900 Keep Safe places throughout Scotland and each Keep Safe Place is checked by the Police and the staff are trained to help anyone who may feel lost, scared or vulnerable when out and about.

All Keep Safe places can be found on the Keep Safe Scotland App which is free to download on Android and iOS. Keep Safe cards are available free to everyone, and key information can be written on these to highlight communication preferences, next of kin details or any other information that may help in their time of need.

Colin Smyth said: “I Am Me Scotland is a fantastic organisation which works tirelessly to raise awareness of disability hate crime.

“It is so important that charities like this exist so we can change attitudes and behaviours so that disabled and vulnerable people can feel safe within their communities.

“Disability hate crime has no place in our society and it was great that I Am Me were able to bring their message to the Scottish Parliament.”