AGM

[Andrew McHarg]

If other countries can do this, why can't Scotland? If there is no disabled entrant there is no problem as far as I can see.

The above seems to imply that there is a problem if a disabled player enters such an event, which is surely not your intention? Besides, I thought the guidelines had just been introduced recently? If so, how do we know other countries can do this without repercussions for many well established tournaments? As already stated, nobody is disputing whether or not we should promote the inclusion of disabled players. Obviously we should do everything we can to make it more inclusive to everyone. But saying we can't continue running Fide-rated events in the Edinburgh Chess Club anymore IF a disabled player decides to enter and has a problem ascending the stairs is not going to make anything more inclusive. The ECC - I would argue - are (for a number of reasons) unlikely to decide to host some of these events elsewhere on the possibility that a wheelchair-bound player might enter. The more likely outcome would be that the Fide-rated events wouldn't run, or - defeating the purpose of the events in the first place - wouldn't be Fide rated. That seems... very inclusive. /

Unfortunately, whether intended or otherwise, this is how the motion is worded for other tournaments in Scotland as well (if adopted). In my view it's not enough to say "yea well it's just formalising what already happens", because it isn't; or "but that won't happen anyway", because that's not the point. If you want a formal document to promote inclusion of disabled players then it needs to be smarter and clearer than the way the motion is currently written.