Open Door Issue 46 Final 2 - disabilityequality.scotdisabilityequality.scot/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Open-Door-Issue-46.d… · Web viewWe are pleased to announce that The Scottish

DISABILITY NEWS AND VIEWS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE ACROSS SCOTLANDWelcome to the latest issue of Open Door, the quarterly magazine from Scottish Disability Equality Forum.

OPEN DOOR

Weekly Polls

INFORM POLICYACCESS PANELS

ENGAGE SUPPORTJOINT WORK

sdef.org.uk ISSUE 46 | 2017

This magazine brings you the latest news and information from SDEF, Access Panels, and Disabled Peoples’ Organisations across Scotland.

Your Disability, Your Voice, Your ScotlandSDEF is a member led organisation so we want to hear from you, our valued members!

Get in touch with us with your disability news by email at [email protected] or by calling on 01259 272064.

Contents

PAGE 2 ISSUE 46 │ 2017

Inform

Policy

Support

Access Panels

Page No.2 Contents3 CEO’s Welcome, Introduction from Morven Brooks4 Annual General Meeting 2017

5 Staff Team6-8 SDEF Strategic Plan 2017-20209-10 Update from Emma Scott, Equality Project Manager

11 Shared Space Seminar12 Accessible Travel Framework Surveys

13 Disability Confident14 Inclusive Communication Hub

15 Have Your Say…16 Accessibility Survey of MPs and MSPs

17 Building Regulations in Scotland18 Housing for Disabled People

19 Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland 20-21 Weekly Poll21 Disability and the Built Environment

22 SDEF Easy Read Service23 Place Standard Tool - How Good is Our Place24 Enable Scotland - Falkirk Branch25 Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living - Equality Academy26 Scottish Personal Assistant Employers Network

Engage 27 Scottish Government Websites and Digital Services

28 A Journey In my Wheels

29-43 Access Panel Network Scotland News

CEO’s Welcome

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CEO UpdateSDEF is making such positive progress, from the launch of our Strategic Plan 2017-2020 to the ongoing developments with our projects in Inclusive Communication, Inclusive Design and Transport. I would like to thank all our members, past, present and newly joined and of course the amazing Access Panels for the kind words and support over the last eight months. I intend to grow on our newly found respect,partnership and positive attitude as we work to achieve the outcomes set out in our Strategic Plan for the next three years. We will be working to introduce and deliver an Access and Inclusion training course, continue to develop and promote our online information Hubs, create new partnership working opportunities and most importantly educate and raise awareness of the rights disabled people have to live independent lives. This is why it is important we continue to grow our membership and support the volunteer Access Panels.

Sadly, due to health reasons, Hope Craig has had to make a very difficult decision to step down as Convener and Board member with SDEF. On behalf of our Board of Directors, we wish to thank Hope for the time, dedication and support she has provided to SDEF and we all wish her a full recovery in her health.

As a Disabled People’s Organisation we have the majority of our board and staffing with physical disabilities, hidden disabilities and long term health conditions. We understand the difficulties first-hand as an employer in supporting employees and volunteers. This is why it is more important than ever before for SDEF to raise awareness and educate employers, groups, organisations and individuals on access and inclusion, ensuring all disabled people are fully involved in our society. If you are reading this and not yet a member or if you know someone who is eager to have their voice heard, then please get in touch with us.

I look forward to meeting many of our members at our next AGM in Perth on 12 September 2017. If you haven’t registered yet, please contact our office.

With best wishes

Morven Brooks, Chief Executive Officer

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CEO’s Welcome

Annual General Meeting 2017We are pleased to announce that The Scottish Disability Equality Forum Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2017 will be held at the Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ on Tuesday 12 September 2017 at 10.00am.

This year we will have a marketplace of stalls. So far we have the following organisations: The Scottish Parliament, ILF Scotland, Disability Information Scotland, Scottish Personal Assistant Employer Network (SPAEN), Humanism in Scotland, Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise and Disabled Go. If you would like to book a stall at our AGM, please contact us for further information.

We will also be running four workshops on Inclusive Communication, Accessible Travel, Inclusive Design and Disability Safety. This is an opportunity for us to share with you the progress we have made on these projects, however more importantly for you to provide us the valuable feedback we need.

If you would like to attend the SDEF AGM 2017, please complete the booking form sent to you or contact us to request a booking form. Please return your completed booking form no later than Wednesday 16 August 2017 to allow arrangements for communication, access or dietary requirements. Please send your form to the address below or email [email protected]

You can also register to attend by completing our online booking form: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scottish-disability-equality-forum-agm-2017-tickets - 34100364107

We look forward to welcoming our members!

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Staff Team

Inform

Morven Brooks- Chief Executive OfficerMorven works with the team to ensure that SDEF is effective in its aims to promote equality and to reduce barriers to Independent Living. Responsible for the strategic development of the organisation.

Emma Scott - Equality Projects ManagerEmma is responsible for managing a broad number of projects and initiatives. Working closely with the CEO to implement the organisations’s strategy to work towards social inclusion for Disabled People in Scotland.

Maeve Bain - Senior AdministratorMaeve is responsible for the administration of our finances, book-keeping and payments, as well as supporting in other areas such as minute-taking and regular Board related duties.

James Davidson - Equality Projects AssistantJames works across the business with publicity, promotion and events. He also develops and sources content for SDEF Hubs, monitoring and reporting progress of each.

Ian Buchanan - Access Engagement OfficerIan’s role is to support, develop and promote the Access Panel Network. He regularly travels around Scotland meeting Access Panels and stakeholders to encourage partnership working.

Gillian Smith - Access AdministratorGillian is our Access Administrator and it is her role to provide administrative support to the Access Engagement Officer and the wider Access Panel Network.

Inform


“Achieving full Access and Inclusion for disabled people in Scotland.”

Scottish Disability Equality Forum Strategic Plan 2017-2020

Scottish Disability Equality Forum has now launched its Strategic Plan, which not only describes the organisation’s vision, mission and principles, but also details Scottish Disability Equality Forum’s key strategic aims between now and 2020.

About SDEFScottish Disability Equality Forum (SDEF) is a national charity working to achieve full access and inclusion for disabled people.

SDEF promotes access in its widest sense, including access to the built and natural environment and access to the same opportunities as are enjoyed by others in our communities, promoting a life of dignity, respect and independence.

SDEF’s aim is for every disabled person to have the opportunity to participate in a fulfilling life. SDEF represent the views of individuals with any type of impairment, as well as disability organisations and groups who share SDEF’s values.

Our Vision…A better life for people living with disabilities.

Our Mission...Our mission has always been to increase awareness and knowledge of Access and Inclusion to improve the lives of disabled people in Scotland.

Inform

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Our PrinciplesPositive Approach. We are a solutions focused organisation. We want to hear what is working well and what is not working to approach the issues in a positive way.

Promoting Equality. We are a proactive and media aware organisation. We look to promote good/best practice and achieve a greater awareness of disability equality and accessibility across Scotland.

Partnership-focused. We are a collaborative organisation. We work with partners across all sectors to achieve real measurable change across Scotland with regard to access and equality.

Our Strategic PrioritiesScottish Disability Equality Forum is committed to working in line with the Scottish Government’s policies and procedures. Below is a list of relevant policies to which we align.

A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People

Scottish National Action Plan for Human Rights

Equality Act 2010

Going Further, 2016—Transport Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework

Inform



Our Strategic Aims

Strategic Aim OneScottish Disability Equality Forum believes increased awareness and knowledge of access and inclusion will improve the lives of disabled people in Scotland.To effectively communicate, promote and campaign the importance of social inclusion, ensuring the opinions of disabled people are taken into account from the first point of planning.

Strategic Aim TwoScottish Disability Equality Forum believes that access and inclusion is vital to the independence of disabled peoples’ lives.To increase awareness, knowledge and understanding of access and inclusion across Scotland.

Strategic Aim ThreeScottish Disability Equality Forum believes that a sustainable organisation is focused on mission, outcomes and demonstration of impact.To develop a creative and adaptive organisation.

Please visit our website to download our full Strategic Plan, which is available in a number of alternative formats: http://sdef.org.uk/scottish-disability-equality-forum- launches-three-year-strategic-plan/

Inform

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Update from Emma Scott, Equality Projects ManagerIt has been a very busy introduction to SDEF for me. Since starting in November 2016, I have led several projects, sat on different advisory groups and have met with a large number of organisations. Some of my work to date is outlined below.

Transport ScotlandMy post is partly funded by Transport Scotland and so I have been busy with different projects. For example, as part of our Accessible Travel work, I designed two national surveys ; one for disabled people to gather their views of travelling on public transport and one for transport providers, to see what steps they are taking to improve accessibility. We had a great response, with over 240 responses to the surveys. I am now analysing this data and will provide Transport Scotland with a report by the end of June.

I was also involved in the Shared Space Seminar that took place in April, and I was responsible for collating all the comments from the day into the Summit report which has been circulated by Transport Scotland to all delegates.

The Health and Social Care AllianceSDEF were approached by the Health and Social Care Alliance to see if we could help them with a large piece of work they have been asked to undertake by the Scottish Government. The work relates to the new plans for Social Security in Scotland as it is to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. This will have an impact on our members as disability related benefits are among those being devolved. We worked with the Alliance to facilitate a focus group discussions with our Access Panel in Badenoch & Strathspey. This took place in March and gave the Alliance feedback on how the new system would need to work, for it to be effective. Since then, we have also been involved in the Alliance’s National Conference in May, by hosting a workshop on Accessible Travel which was well attended.

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InformUpdate Continued…The GatheringThe SDEF team had a very productive few days at the Gathering event, held in the SECC in Glasgow. We met with many people who were interested in finding our more about SDEF and we recruited some new members too.

Inclusive CommunicationI have been working on our Inclusive Communication Hub and have plans to get our advisory group re-established so that we can continue to ensure that the IC Hub is up to date with information. Don’t forget if you have any ideas or suggestions for content, then let us know!

Police ScotlandSDEF are the only external organisation invited to sit on the Contact, Command and Control group for Police Scotland. Our role is to advise on inclusive communication and accessibility for the Police. I’m also continuing work with our liaison officer from Police Scotland to increase our work around disability hate crime. We held a roadshow on disability hate crime, with a presentation from Police Scotland on 28 March, where we learned how to recognise hate crime, and how to report it. I hope to continue to work with Police Scotland as our work around disability hate crime increases.

Strategic PlanningA lot of my time is also spent working with Morven our CEO on the strategic plans for the business. We now have a strategic plan to guide us until 2020, a new communication and engagement strategy and new office policies, covering IT security, lone working, and data protection. We also launched our manifesto, which sets out what we pledge to do for our members over the next few years.

Get In touch!In the meantime, if anyone wishes to contact me about my work, my number is 01259 272062 or email: [email protected]

Inform

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Shared Space SeminarThe first Shared Space Seminar took place in Edinburgh on 25 April 2017. Transport Scotland commissioned the Transport Research Institute (TRI) at Edinburgh Napier University to organise the seminar, and Scottish Disability Equality Forum to produce a report of the day, as well as to give a presentation on the views of disabled people about shared spaces.

Shared Spaces are a form of street design, with the aim of reducing the impact of motor traffic in places used by pedestrians. Often they are a level surface, with no kerbs, or crossings.

The seminar was attended by a range of delegates representing disabled person’s organisations, local authorities, planners, and street designers. The purpose of the seminar was to discuss shared spaces from a range of perspectives, including disabled people and public authorities responsible for designing and maintaining streets. The aim was to agree on how future shared space schemes could be designed to ensure access for all.

Six workshop discussions took place where delegates discussed their own experiences of shared spaces, how appropriate they are and how they could be improved. SDEF produced a report of the day, with findings from each discussion group. Transport Scotland will circulate this report to all the delegates, but some key findings include:

● The majority of Scotland’s streets, whether shared spaces or not, are not friendly places for disabled people. There needs to be a culture shift where pedestrians are given more importance.

● The idea of a shared space can work, but in streets with high volumes of traffic, there needs to be traditional features such as controlled crossings and kerbs to help disabled people feel confident.

●Consultation is fundamental to the success of a shared space scheme. Disabled people should be included in discussions from the earliest point, right through to quality checking at the end.

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InformAccessible Travel Framework SurveysThe Scottish Disability Equality Forum has been working with Transport Scotland to undertake research into accessible travel. To do this, we developed two surveys; one for completion by transport providers and one for disabled passengers. We wanted to find out more about disabled peoples’ experiences of traveling on public transport.

This survey will act as a baseline, giving us ‘starting point’ data which we can build on over the lifetime of the Accessible Travel Framework.

The surveys were open between 4 May and 9 June 2017.

We had a great response from disabled people, with 200 people telling us about their use of public transport. In addition, we heard from 44 transport providers who told us what they’re doing to make transport more accessible.

We will analyse all the findings and then write a report for Transport Scotland by the end of June, but here are some of the key findings:

46% of disabled people had experienced difficulties changing between modes of transport.

Traveling for medical appointments, leisure, and shopping were the most common type of travel.

The accessibility of the mode of transport was the most common barrier disabled people faced (49%) as well as the frequency of the service (42%) and whether there was a suitable route (40%).

Having the independence to travel was the most important aspect of public transport for disabled people (73%)

Over half (56%) of transport providers had made changes to the accessibility of their provision in the last six months, and 25% intended to do so in the near future.

Two thirds of transport providers (69%) offer disability awareness or equality training to their staff.

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Disability Confident

Inform

You might have noticed that at SDEF we have a new accolade. We are now ‘Disability Confident’.

The Disability Confident Scheme has been structured in a new framework, designed by employers and disabled people’s representatives. It is a voluntary and free-to-join scheme for any employers who are committed to recruiting and retaining disabled people and people with health conditions, for their skills and talent.

The framework comprises of 3 levels designed to support employers on the journey to become Disability Confident.

● Level 1: Disability Confident committed employer

● Level 2: Disability Confident employer

● Level 3: Disability Confident leader

SDEF has been awarded a certificate of recognition for becoming a ‘Disability Confident committed employer’ because we are committed to getting the right people for the business and keeping and developing people through positive actions.

The ‘Disability Confident badge’ is on our website, digital marketing materials and all new printed marketing materials.

SDEF intends to champion Disability Confidence and to achieve recognition in the future as a ‘Disability Confident Leader’.

Inform

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Have Your Say…

Policy

Gathering the views of disabled people in Scotland

Your Views Count!

Have Your Say on Disability website is a place for you to tell us your views on disability issues in Scotland. This website provides the opportunity for disabled people to help shape Scotland’s future in accessibility and equality.

As someone with lived experience of – orrepresenting someone with – a disability, we would like you to tell us what you feel is working and what needs to change in Scotland by completing our surveys. Our surveys are on current policy consultations and available in alternative formats.

What happens to my comments

Your comments will be passed on in full to those who have requested the survey, making sure that your views really are counted. Your responses are anonymous unless you wish to provide your details. The Scottish Government and other bodies want to know what is working, what is not, andwhat needs to happen to improve life for Scottish disabled people, so your comments can really make a difference!

www.your-say-on-disability.org.uk


PolicyAccessibility Survey of MPs and MSPsScottish Disability Equality Forum prepared an online accessibility survey and emailed it to 188 Scottish MPs and MSPs. The survey had a number of aims:

1. To persuade elected members to think about accessibility and how they accommo-

date disabled constituents

2. To assess the accessibility of MP and MSP offices

3. To find out the level of interest and knowledge MP and MSPs had regarding acces-

sibility and disability awareness

4. To raise awareness of our Hubs to MP and MSPs and ask them to consider our

work when replying to constituent enquiries.

SDEF received 47 completed responses, representing a response rate of 25%.

Key findings from the survey include:

●Overall, the majority 89% (41 respondents) said that their office was on the ground floor. Those not on the ground floor had lift access to their offices.

● 93% (43 respondents) said there was step-free access to their offices.

● 70% (33 respondents) said there were accessible parking bays available for disabled constituents at their offices.

● 49% (23 respondents) said there were accessible toilets available at their offices. From these, four (9%) had a hoist and changing table available.

● 45% (21 respondents) had received disability awareness training.

● 91% (43 respondents) wished SDEF to provide them with information on accessible

formats.

Some of the comments we received from MPs and MSPs included:“I’ve chosen venues that I know to be accessible as a key factor in the choice of location (of meetings)”.“We need to do more, but it is often challenging within budgets”.Our findings were sent, by request, to Dr Lisa Cameron MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Disability.

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PolicyScottish Parliament – Building Regulations in ScotlandThe Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee launched a call for written evidence as part of its scrutiny of building regulations in Scotland. The Committee wanted to hear your thoughts and experiences of these regulations. The Committee were particularly interested in your thoughts on the verification scheme and building warrant fees.

What SDEF did nextSDEF held an online consultation from 8 February 2017 until 28 February 2017, which prompted 8 responses.

This is a summary of the most popular answers.

Verification scheme●Respondents agreed that verification of building standards should be extended to

organisations other than local authorities.

●One respondent stated that all organisations should be subject to verification of Building Standards with no exceptions; another commented that local authorities must be adequately resourced and funded to ensure their obligations are met.

●All respondents agreed that there should be procedural regulations that specify a minimum requirement for the inspection of ongoing building works, to ensure compliance with building standards.

●All respondents also agreed that there should be a statutory system to provide redress for new home buyers whose properties are subsequently found not to meet building standards requirements.

Building warrant fees● There were mixed views regarding the issue of the level of the current building

warrant and associated fees. Some agreed and others disagreed.

● There was a suggestion that planning and building warrant fees be conjoined and, from a disability perspective, be enforceable.

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PolicyEquality & Human Rights Commission – Housing for Disabled PeopleEquality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) held a formal enquiry into housing and disability and wanted to gather evidence of the views and experiences of disabled people and organisations on housing and tenancy support provision. This included the effect it had on disabled people’s choice and control over their housing situation and their right to independent living. The EHRC wanted to hear specifically from disabled people, their families and carers; disabled persons organisations, their families and carers; disabled people’s organisations and other voluntary sector and community sector organisations and housing providers.

What SDEF did nextSDEF held an online consultation from 3 March 2017 until 12 April 2017, which prompted 20 responses.

Your ResponsesThis is a summary of the most popular answers:

● The majority of respondents either owned or rented their homes and the most common adaptation to their home was to their bathroom.

● From respondents who had looked for an accessible home since 2014, only one respondent managed to do so.

●Overall, respondents did not think there was enough information available to help them find accessible housing.

●Most had problems finding accessible housing, with lack of availability being the most common issue.

● The most common problems whilst making the adaptation were cost, bureaucracy and adaptations not being done to their required specifications.

● 60% of respondents also focused on the need for them to pay for their own adaptations, to pay for the maintenance.

●Respondents also noted a shortage of Occupational Therapists.

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PolicyScottish Government urged to support the rights of people who access social securityResearch published by the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) urges the Scottish Government to promote and support the rights of seldom heard people who access social security.

Responsibility for several social security entitlements, including disability andcarer payments, are being devolved to Scotland. As part of a national consultation on its new powers, the Scottish Government commissioned the ALLIANCE to consult seldom heard people on what a new Scottish social security assessment process should look like. We heard from over 300 people with direct experience of social security who identify as belonging to at least one seldom heard group, including members of the BME and LGBT+ communities, unpaid carers, people with lived experience of mental health problems, and people living in rural Scotland. This included a visit to Boat of Garten for a focus group with members of the SDEF Access Panel of Badenoch and Strathspey.

The ALLIANCE’s report, demonstrates that people experience many difficulties with the current system that could be corrected by the new Scottish Social Security Agency. The vast majority of people agree that people with life-long or life-limiting conditions should be awarded lifetime payments, and that many more awards could be made using a simple application form, without the need for an additional interview which people often experience as unnecessary, intrusive and upsetting. Easier access to tailored information and advice, independent advocacy and other means of supported decision-making would go a long way to helping people better understand their rights and exercise them.

The ALLIANCE’s research shows that there are a wide range of experiences among people currently in receipt of social security, many of them negative. We have welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcements that the new system will be underpinned by human rights principles and have a local presence. There are several other steps we recommend, including a focused approach to changing the culture surrounding social security at a national level as well as within the system itself. Ensuring the new Scottish Social Security Agency’s independence and accountability, and empowering seldom heard people to have a meaningful say in how the new system is run, could go some way to helping achieve the aspiration to transform social security in Scotland.

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PolicyWeekly PollsAboutSDEF recently launched a new way of engaging with our members. Each week, a new Weekly Poll question is sent out on a different topic or subject. The aim is to build up a bank of information and views from our members, so we can better understand disabled people. We also want to increase out outreach and gather more evidence that we can use in our business planning, and to help respond to consultations.

Below is a summary of the weekly poll questions we have asked so far, along with your responses:

Inclusive Communication - w/c 8 March 2017Question: Do you think inclusive communication needs to be improved in public, private and third sector organisations?

Answer: Yes - 100% (36 respondents) No - 0% (0 respondents)

Key comment: “Equality is important and everyone should be allowed to have the opportunity to communicate in a way that they feel confident and comfortable to express themselves.”

Disability Hate Crime - w/c 15 March 2017

Question: Would you feel confident to report an incident of Disability Hate Crime?


Key comment: “Too often disabled people fear complaining about any type of crime, but more so this because of reprisals – they are vulnerable and should be protected.”

Planning Applications - w/c 5 April 2017Question: Do you think Access Panels should be asked to comment on all local planning applications?

Answer: Yes-96% (46 respondents) No - 4% (2 respondents)

Key comment: “This would ensure those with knowledge of accessibility and inclusive design are involved from the start and hopefully prevent the costly retro fixes due to poor planning.”

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PolicyWeekly Polls Continued…

Housing Adaptations - w/c 12 April 2017Question: Since 2014, have you had to make any adaptations to your home because of your disability?


Key comment: “I feel unsure of my rights in terms of what local authorities should be doing, compared to what is my own responsibility as a disabled person having to adapt my home and garden to best accommodate my wheelchair.”

Mental Health - w/c 26 April 2017Question: Do you think the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy will improve mental health services in Scotland over the next ten years?

Answer: Yes – 57% (20 respondents) No - 43% (15 respondents)

Key comment: “I really hope it does but there needs to be continued funding.”

British Sign Language (BSL) - w/c 17 May 2017Question: Do you think British Sign Language (BSL) should be taught in schools as a second language? YES/NO

Answer: Yes – 88% (38 respondents) No 12% (5 respondents)

Key comment: "I think it would be great. What a fantastic way to ensure all our school children feel included and welcomed. "

Accessible Taxis – w/c 23 May 2017Question: Since April 6th 2017 Have you, or someone you know, been charged extra when using an accessible taxi in Scotland?

Answer: Yes 19% (5 respondents) No 81% (21 Respondents)

Key comment: “I was over charged I didn’t notice I had been until the return journey by the same private hire company for £4 less for a 3 mile journey.”

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SupportSDEF Easy Read Service

We have the expertise to produce information in Easy ReadThe Scottish Disability Equality Forum provide a professional and efficient Easy Read service to all sectors, as part of our commitment towards improving access to information for all.

What is Easy Read?Easy Read is an accessible format that makes written information easier to understand. The Easy Read format is easy to understand because it uses simple, jargon free language, shorter sentences and supporting images.

Why produce Easy Read documents?Easy Read documents make information more accessible to people with learning disabilities. They can also be useful for people with other communication difficulties including:

acquired brain injury

dyslexia people with hearing impairment whose first language is British

Sign Language (BSL)

people who do not speak English as their first language

people who find reading difficult people with cognitive impairments such as dementia.

The Equality ActThe Equality Act (2010) requires organisations to produce information in an accessible format. Easy Read can ensure that disabled people have equal access to information and are not discriminated against.

Who do I contact?For more information about the Scottish Disability Equality Forum Easy Read service, please contact us by telephone or email:

Telephone: 01259 272064 Email: [email protected]

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SupportPlace Standard Tool - How Good is Our Place?NHS Health Scotland, with colleagues in the Scottish Government and Architecture & Design Scotland, have created a tool to support communities to design their place. It is called the Place Standard.

The Place Standard tool lets communities, public agencies, voluntary groups and others find those aspects of a place that need to be targeted to improve people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life.

The Place Standard tool provides a simple framework to structure conversations about place and community. Its questionnaire format allows you to think about and assess

the physical environment - the buildings, streets, public spaces and natural spaces that make up a place the social environment - the relationships, social contact and support networks that make up a community.

The tool is available online and can be downloaded to print out.

How the tool worksThe tool asks 14 questions about the physical and social elements of a place. Questions relate to themes, which can be seen around the outer rim of the diagram below.Participants answer by scoring from 1 to 7, where 1 means there is a lot of room for improvement and 7 means there is very little room for improvement.

Results are plotted on the diagram with the points closer to the centre representing those areas most in need of improvement while those towards the edge are strengths.The circular Place Standard Tool chart showing plotted numerical ratings in each of the 14 segments made in response to the questionnaire.

The Place Standard can benefit all new and existing communities and can also help tackle health inequalities.

To find out more about the tool, or how to join the Place Standard Alliance, please contact Place Standard using the link below.https://placestandard.scot /

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SupportEnable Scotland - Falkirk BranchElgin Park Centre, the Falkirk Branch of “Enable Scotland” overlooks the Cladhan hotel in the centre of Falkirk. The objectives of the branch are to cater for the needs of children and adults with learning disabilities, and to help them to achieve their potential.

The Branch was purchased by an interest free loan secured from Enable Head Office and opened in 1977 after extensive redesign, delivering a meeting place and leisure facility for individuals with a learning disability.

Materials to refurbish the building were begged, borrowed and, erm, gifted! The Branch currently run a Wednesday Evening 18+ Club from 7 to 9pm, a Tuesday Lunch Club from 11am to 1.30pm, and we are investigating the possibility of opening another evening for 18 to early 20 year olds. Thanks to the, “Big Lottery” Funding our cafeteria can now seat 70 comfortably. At the present time our membership is 100+, and a healthy proportion are regular attendees at our 18+ Wednesday and Tuesday Lunch club. We offer activities such as carpet bowls, pool, dominoes, darts, arts & crafts, Bingo, and for those who like to watch the football on a Wednesday evening, or a Film, we have a big screen TV.

“ACE”, which is the Advisory Committee of Enable have established a members group which meets regularly at Elgin Park, their aim is to empower people with learning disabilities. Once a month we have a Disco at Elgin Park, these are themed when they coincide with Public holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter and of course Halloween. We also have a yearly Summer outing or Barbecue.

The biggest events of the Year are around Christmas. We get everyone into the festive spirit with the Panto at the Dobbie Hall in Larbert. The grand finale of the Year is the Christmas Dance, that’s when we find out just how large a membership we have ! We have no paid members of staff; everyone is a volunteer, mostly parents of members. We have no Local Government funding apart from exemption from Council Tax, relying on fundraising drives and a few long term patrons. The Committee comprises parents, volunteers and members.

To find out more about your local branch please contact the Membership team:

Call 0300 0200 101 Or email [email protected]

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SupportGCIL Equality AcademyGlasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL) is a disabled people's user led Organisation (DPULO) committed to promoting inclusive living by assisting disabled people to challenge barriers and make informed choices.

GCIL Equality Academy, a service area of GCIL, addresses the under-representation of disabled people in professional level employment in Scotland. We also work with organisations to promote equality values throughout their services and we would be delighted to work with you.We do this by providing a range of services; a selection of which are summarised below.

● Organisational development covers the development of equality policies and action plans, accessibility procedures (equality impact assessments) that incorporate a wide set of good practice standards, appropriate language guides, equality data collection procedures and harassment policies and procedures.

● Recruitment and selection involves working with individual organisations to develop a specific procedure tailored to individual needs that embeds equality issues into all areas of the procedure.

● Our training programmes are tailored to individual organisational needs and cover a diverse range of topics; includes mainstreaming of equality issues into all learning and development programmes.

● Access audits cover equality impact assessments relating to accessibility of IT systems to disabled and non-disabled people, as well as physical accessibility of office premises and their immediate environment. Access audits are carried out by disabled people with extensive experience of disabling barriers inherent in society.

● Our innovative Scotland wide Professional Careers Programme offers disabled graduate traineeships of up to two years with full salary; and employers obtain a pool of talented and motivated graduates.

● Research survey work we carry out is aligned to the particular requirements of each organisation to promote collation of meaningful and practical data, as well as incorporating appropriate language, in line with the social model of disability.

Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can work with you. More information can be found by accessing our www.gcil.org.uk/equality-academy or Facebook page, or getting in touch with


our team at [email protected] or 0141 375 0464.

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SupportSPAEN (Scottish Personal Assistant Employers Network)

It’s YOUR Choice

SPAEN (Scottish Personal Assistant Employers Network) is a Scottish charity established to assist disabled people to access the potential benefits that Direct Payments offer.

What does that actually mean?Basically, the law now states that people requiring social care support should be fully involved in deciding how they receive this support; in what that support should achieve for them and that the local authority council; NHS Boards or the new Integrated Joint Boards should ensure that the process by which you are supported is “transparent”.

Under the Act, people eligible for support have 4 options to choose from and this can include a Direct Payment, a cash payment to the supported person to allow them to employ their own care worker or Personal Assistant.

Becoming an “employer” can sound scary but the reality is that it is actually very easy to do with the right support. And the benefits can be significant.

YOU can decide who supports you; when they come to support you and what that involves. YOU can choose to live YOUR life YOUR way.

If you would like to learn more about social care and YOUR choices, please get in touch!

Call: 01698 250280 / 0845 601 1156 (local rates apply)

Email: [email protected]

Visit: www.spaen.co.uk

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Join SDEF Today!

Member Benefits

Membership is FREE. Go to or T: 01259 272064

Quarterly Magazine ‘Open Door’News and Articles in accessible formats Monthly e-bulletin ‘SDEF Voice’Discounts and vouchers (visit online for latest) Invitation to Member events

EngagementDo you want to help improve the accessibility of the Scottish Government websites and digital services?

The Scottish Government is always working to make websites and digital services as accessible and usable as possible. We are looking for volunteers with disabilities and who use assistive technology. We would like to create a user community that could help by giving feedback on projects where invited.

Activities would range from a one-hour interview in your home or at a Scottish Government office, reviewing a website at home and providing feedback by email or completing a short survey. The activities may include a reward for taking part and expenses may be refunded.

If you would like to be included in the user community, or if you require any more information, please email James Davidson, SDEF Online Access Worker: [email protected]


EngagementA Journey In My WheelsThe following article is by Claire D’All, a blogger and YouTuber who hopes to diminish the negative views that some people have on people living with a disability.

“Hi everyone I’m Claire and I have been a wheelchair user since I was 3 years old, I was born with muscle weakness which affects the ability for me to move my legs, resulting in me not being ableto walk or weight bear at all. Along with my muscle weakness I have a few health issues that may arise occasionally or that I live with daily. These issues affect my breathing and other aspects of my life. I never let any of this stop me though from achieving anything I want out of life and last year I graduated with a BSc(Hons) in Applied Computing.

Although I have never let my disability rule my life it is a big part of who I am and even though my main focus is finding a job in the field of Web Development I saw potential in writing about my life with a disability. Hence the name of my blog and YouTube channel, “A Journey In My Wheels”. Through my blog and YouTube channel I hope to diminish the negative views that I feel some people have about living with a disability by showing them that in regards to myself I am just like everyone else. I am hoping to open people’s eyes to the hurdles that people like myself with a physical disability face whilst also showing people that may be living with a disability themselves that their impairment doesn’t own them, they own it.

Whatever hurdles you may come across you're stronger than them. It may be hard sometimes, life's not easy, for anyone impairment or not, but you can fight it. If you would like to learn more about me and how I live with my disability then please visit my blog and YouTube channel.You can subscribe to both so you get notified when I post something and you don’t miss a thing.”

Please view the links below to follow Claire’s blog, YouTube channel and related social media:

Blog: http://www.ajourneyinmywheels.org/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUvjpMEFEC1ANFzE96QZp5Q

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajourneyinmywheels /

Twitter: https://twitter.com/clairedall

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claire_dall /

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HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS

NORTH EAST

LOTHIAN AND BORDERSAccessAble (Central Borders Access Panel)

Access Panel NetworkGeographical location of Access Panels in Scotland

WESTERN ISLES AND ARGYLL

Barra Access PanelCowal Access Panel (Dunoon) Harris Disability Access Panel Isle of Lewis Access PanelOban & District Disability Forum & Access Panel

SOUTH WEST

Cumnock and Doon Valley Access Panel North Ayrshire Access Panel

FORTH VALLEY AND TAYSIDE

Angus Access PanelCentre for Inclusive Living Perth & Kinross

GLASGOW & CLYDE VALLEY

East Dunbartonshire Access Panel Glasgow Access PanelNorth Lanarkshire Access Panel Renfrewshire Access Panel

Clackmannanshire Disability Awareness Group South Lanarkshire Access PanelDisabilities Fife Dundee Access GroupFalkirk Area Disability Access Panel Stirling Area Access Pane

Access Panel OrkneyBadenoch and Strathspey Access Panel Caithness Disabled Access Panel Inverness Access PanelLochaber Disability Access Panel Nairn Access PanelRoss and Cromarty Access Panel Sutherland Access Panel Shetland Access PanelSkye & Lochalsh Access Panel

West Dunbartonshire Access Panel

Aberdeenshire North Access Panel Aberdeenshire South Access Panel Bon Accord Access PanelCentral Aberdeenshire Access Panel West Aberdeenshire Access Panel

Berwickshire Access Panel East Lothian Access Panel Edinburgh Access Panel Midlothian Access Panel Tweeddale Access PanelWest Lothian Access Committee


Access Panel NetworkAccess Engagement Officer’s UpdateMy name is Ian and I’m the Access Engagement Officer. I’m the person at SDEF responsible for representing Access Panels on a national level and I provide support and guidance to the forty Panels across Scotland. In SDEF’s capacity as the umbrella body for Access Panels it’s my job to make sure Access Panels have the necessary resources to undertake their vital work.

2017 is going past quickly and it’s been an especially busy year for me and the wider Access Panel Network in particular. I’d like to start by saying a big thank you to those Access Panels who were able to attend the recent conference in Aberdeen. It was a fantastic day where Panels got to share and learn from other Panels and third sector organisations. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support from NorthLink ferries so a huge thank you to them, on behalf of the entire network. I’d also like to recognise the contribution from Gillian Smith and James Davidson. Their support and assistance in planning the day was absolutely crucial and they did themselves proud.

As I said, it’s been a busy year so far. I had the privilege in February of visiting Oban and then Lochaber Access Panels. I’ve also managed to visit Caithness, Tweeddale, Ross and Cromarty, Bon Accord and AccessAble. The work these Panels are doing cannot be underestimated in terms of importance and it was great being able to meet so many dedicated individuals.

You might have seen our new look Access News which we split off from the main newsletter. It’s designed to ensure that Access Panels get as much information as possible that’s relevant and not lost within other bits and pieces. Don’t worry though, if you’re a member of SDEF and on our mailing list, you’ll still receive SDEF Voice.

I’d like to put a call out to anyone in the Access Panels who might be interested in taking part in a new weekly poll podcast. The podcasts will be short audio interviews on a topic based around SDEF’s weekly poll. It’s really important that I can hear the views from as many people in the network as possible so I can feed these back to the Scottish Government. If you’d like to take part or would like a bit more information then get in touch with me. It’ll be an excellent way for you to get your views heard by a huge audience and really spread the word about the Access Panel network.

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Access Panel NetworkAccess Engagement Officer’s Update Continued…Over the next few months I’ll be working to make sure that Access Panels are represented at the highest possible level. I’m going to be looking at ways to achieve statutory consultee status for Access Panels thus ensuring all local authorities must engage with Panels as early in the planning stage as possible. I’m also working on developing our training and inclusion arm so look out for more information on this over the next couple of months.

I’d like to that after being in this role for just over a year it has been an amazing experience getting to meet so many fantastic people within the Access Panel network so far. I say this to Panels when I come out and meet with you but we should all be incredibly proud of what we have: a network of Access Panels that is unique to Scotland, that works at a grassroots level and has done so for over twenty years effecting real and lasting change in our communities. I’m looking forward to the next year and you should too!

Lastly, if there’s anything you need then pick up the phone or drop me an e-mail. Below you’ll find some updates from various Access Panels around the country. A big thank you to them for taking the time to update SDEF on their work.

Best wishes

Ian Buchanan, Access Engagement OfficerT: 01259 272066 E: [email protected]

Access Panel NewsThe following pages provide an insight into the activities and hard work volunteers put into their local Access Panels. If you are not yet a member with your local Access Panel and would like to get involved in improving access in your local community, contact your local Access Panel today. Contact details of each Access Panel can be found at www.accesspanelnetwork.org.uk/directory-panels or contact Ian Buchanan T: 01259 272066 E: [email protected]

Access Panel Network


Access Panel Conference 2017After months of planning by the Access team at SDEF our annual Access Panel conference was held on 26 May 2017 in Aberdeen. SDEF would like to thank all those who attended and to the people who delivered a presentation to the conference. We held the conference on board the MV Hjaltland which was moored in Aberdeen harbour before its return trip to Shetland.

We started with an early lunch of soup and sandwiches which allowed everyone to talk with one another and introduce themselves. We then kicked off the conference and had presentations from James Linklater who is head of customer care at Northlink Ferries, Iain Smith who is the Policy and Engagement team manager for Inclusion Scotland, Ryan McDonald from Euan’s Guide and Dean Eales from Disabled Go.

Access Panels then had the chance to share what they had been doing and what their plans were for the coming months with everyone else at the conference. There was a brief question and after that the Access Engagement Officer closed the conference by saying that all Access Panels in Scotland are part of a unique and special network not found anywhere else in the UK and that we should all be proud of ourselves, regardless of the size of the contribution we make.

If you didn’t manage to make the conference or would just like to have a look over the notes then you can download a transcript from the day by clicking HERE.

If you have any suggestions for where we should hold next year’s conference then please get in touch with either Ian or Gillian.

Again, thank you to everyone who contributed to the day and made it a success. Please visit the Access Panel Network to view a selection of photos that were taken on the day: http://accesspanelnetwork.org.uk/access-panel-conference-2017

Badenoch & Strathspey Disability Access PanelTel: 01540 661797Email

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What have we done recently?● The Chairman was invited to give an hour long

presentation to the Badenoch Probus Club under the headings of Who are we? Why are we in Existence? and What do we do? It was very well received and we were able to use our Promotional Materials and to distribute our information leafletsetc. Afterwards Probus members declared that they had learned a lot.

●Panel members met in Boat of Garten with Lucy Mulvagh of the Health and Social Security Alliance Scotland for a very fruitful discussion on the transfer of the administration of some of the Social Security entitlements to the Scottish Government.

● The Chairman attended, as Panel representative, the Stakeholders Group involved in the design and construction of the new Hospital to be built in Aviemore.

●Working with Kingussie High School’s 2nd Year Youth Philanthropy Initiative Competition, promoting the work of our Access Panel.

●Hosted an Awareness Raising Training Session for SDEF Staff on 12 April in Kingussie.

What are we doing now?●Meeting with Cairngorms National Park’s Inclusive Cairngorms Committee to raise

and discuss local access issues such as access to the Speyside Way.

Our plans for the next three months● To complete a major redesign and full update of our “Where To Go In Badenoch

& Strathspey Guide to Disabled facilities” in Badenoch and Strathspey.

●To progress the planning for our Awareness Raising Days with all Primary 4 pupils from all nine schools in the valley. Pupils from both Secondary Schools will be invited to take an active part in the planning. Their participation will, hopefully, be integrated



into their curriculum as suggested by the Head Teacher.



Dundee Access GroupTel: 07922 069039 Email

Last year our principal activity was the Ramp Project whereby with joint funding from Dundee City Council and our Group finances we purchased three ramps for cafes/restaurants in Perth Road, Dundee thus enabling disabled people easy and comfortable access to these premises. The project attracted Press and national TV coverage and contributed to our Group winning the SDEF Most Innovative Project of the Year Award.

Following on from that we have commenced discussions with Fintry Community Council with a view to establishing a “Ramp Up” project in this area of the City. It is envisaged that if we provide “kick start” finance backed by a grant from SDEF recently agreed the Community Council could access funding from the Community Regeneration Fund enabling some ramps to be purchased and hopefully they could be shared by various shops/premises if this proved practical.

We have very recently written to the local Chamber of Commerce outlining the risks to their members of the “Walkaway Pound” where disabled people move their custom from one business to another where their particular needs are better served and seeking the support of the members to our proposed “Ramp Up “ project. Our letter to the Chamber has now been circulated to all their member businesses in Dundee and Tayside.

Our members are also heavily involved at present with tackling the misuse of disabled parking spaces and again discussions are being held with Dundee City Council as to the effectiveness of current legislation.

We have recently agreed to give another donation to Shopmobilty Dundee, which provides wheelchairs and powered scooters to disabled shoppers. We see Shopmobility as an adjunct to our activities and again SDEF have assisted us with grant support.

Edinburgh Access PanelTel: 07969 515296 Email


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Access issues at Waverley Station are still high on our agenda. Last year we enlisted the support of Miles Briggs MSP who organised a debate in the Scottish Parliament about the Waverley issues. The Transport Minister was keen to see the problems for himself so he arranged to visit Waverley and met five of our panellists who explained the main challenges.

Another area where we've highlighted issues is pedestrian crossings. There are many locations where either crossings need to be installed or existing crossings should be upgraded with the latest technology. We've contacted the Councillor who chairs the Transport and Environment Committee. She's facilitated a meeting attended by three of our panel and the council officials responsible for crossings.

We've started working on an aspect of travel where we'd had little involvement previously– Edinburgh Airport. The airport's Access Manager attended our monthly panel meeting in March at our invitation and we've agreed that we'll act as his consultee. Meanwhile we were asked to advise on a number of access issues. The Quaker Meeting House asked for advice about improving wheelchair access; the Royal Commonwealth Pool invited us to help them design signage for their accessible changing facilities; Edinburgh Trams sought our advice about the loudness of the door-alerts on their trams; and a student asked for our help with his dissertation about access.

The reason why we're so busy is because we've been expanding our network of contacts and engaging with additional organisations and individuals. This trend will continue. In the near future, as well as progressing the issues around Waverley, pedestrian crossings and the airport and responding to requests for advice, we'll be looking to grow our network further. We already have a meeting with Jeremy Balfour MSP in the diary for May. He chairs the Scottish Government's Cross Party Group on Disabilities – of which our panel is a member – and he's keen to understand more about what we do and how he can support us.

Falkirk Area Disability Access PanelTel: 07969 515296 Email



Our aim is to improve the Falkirk area for all disabled people by finding solutions to such aspects as the entry into buildings, the lowering of dropped kerbs, the provision of adequate toiletsfor disabled people, and the improvement in the transport system used by them. By engaging with local authorities we hope to be consulted at an early stage of building planning . Our business this year has been mostly to do with trying to improve transport and toilets including Changing Place toilets (with a few dropped kerbs thrown in) The dropped kerb issue is easier to resolve because it is not as costly as other improvements.

We have had a great success in persuading Falkirk Council to establish a "Changing Place" toilet in the Howgate Shopping Mall. This type of toilet is most suitable for those with profound needs especially older children, whose parents have had to cope with almost no assistance. A "Changing Place" is a large toilet equipped with a hoist and many other suitable pieces of equipment. At present we are in the midst of negotiations with various organisations within Falkirk to make toilet provision fully accessible to all and we have the cross-party support of Falkirk Council to undertake this.

As for transport, we are scheduled to have a meeting with representatives from ScotRail, First Bus and Falkirk Council Licensing Board (who are responsible for licensing taxis in the Falkirk area) We hope that we are creating a better physical environment for all, and better means of transport, but if we had more members we'd like to think we could expand to improve access to a wider social inclusion. New members would come with new ideas and areas of weakness for us to challenge.

If you are at all interested in joining our little group please get in touch by contacting 07808 773 857 or contacting [email protected]. We meet every third Friday at 12.00 till 2.30pm at the Sensory Centre in Camelon. If you would like to be involved, even just to listen in, please come along . We'd be happy to welcome you.

Glasgow Access PanelTel: 0141 946 8488 Email


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The National Piping CentreThroughout January and February, we compiled an access report on the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, which included several site visits. The centre serves as a hub for pipers in Glasgow, withteaching and practice rooms, a restaurant and bar, as well as accommodation and a museum all open to the public. Our report has provided the management with the information necessary to make their premises more accessible for disabled visitors in the future. We have also continued to provide direct assistance to a number of individuals with access issues relating to kitchens, ramps and bathrooms, and have additionally provided some home assessment reports.

What Is An Access Audit?On 10 March 2017, GAP held an event at the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living serving as an introduction to access auditing. Our Senior Project Officer, Bobby Park, gave two presentations: first looking at the ‘ideal’ in terms of accessibility, and then considering the reality that we all face. The event was a great success, and hopefully the first of many to introduce a broader audience to the issues surrounding accessibility.

The Months AheadOwing to the interest in our March event, we will now be compiling a more thorough course in access auditing which, subject to funding, will take place in a series of sessions over a number of weeks. Many event attendees have indicated that they would like to participate in a more in-depth course, so this will be one of our main priorities in the coming months.

Join us!If you would like to join the Glasgow Access Panel or find out more about the work that we do, you can give our office a call on 0141 946 8488, or email

[email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

Inverness Access PanelTel: 01463 717624Email



One thing we have been lucky to get completion on is that in the city centre fifteen crossings were not accessible at all, no bleeping or cones, but we have managed to get 15 of them upgraded. This has persisted for a long time and it's only through lobbying the council that we have managed to get this pushed through.

Currently as well as the usual non-descript type of work on planning applications that we get involved with, one of the key issues is with a street charter for the whole of Inverness with RNIB and the council. That's the 6 point policy document that RNIB have highlighted including accessible crossings, street furniture, and all these impediments to getting around the city centres.

Also quite popular is to find balance between these permanent street art schemes which pose obstacles and take up valuable public streets. They are very nice but they seem to just land there with no planning consent or consultation with disability groups and we find toadstool seats along footpaths and have to challenge and find a solution to these obstacles. Also there’s an increasing number of developers wanting to provide access for wheelchair users, yet they plonk obstacles in the accessible footpaths. This is something we are trying to look at, so they are provided in the existing door space rather than the public domain.

Lochaber Disability Access PanelTel: 01397 706044EmailAfter a recent visit to the Lochaber Panel Ian Buchanan asked us to consider submitting an article on how the Lochaber Panel conducts its financial transactions. The Lochaber Panel is aware that these arrangements will be not be practical for other Panels to introduce.

The Lochaber Panel meets on the third Thursday of every month.


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During every monthly meeting Finances are allocated a specific slot on the agenda, when the Panel Treasurer reads outs the Panel’s current financial balance, and presents any expenditure incurred since the previous meeting. This includes claim forms, if any from the individual Panel members. Any Panel member can ask for clarification on an expenditure claim of which they are unsure. Only after the meeting are in agreement that all claims are valid, is the claim authorised for endorsement by the Treasurer. The scheduled monthly Panel meetings are the only time when a cheque can be authorised for endorsement. All external invoices from agencies out with the Panel have to be submitted to the Panel’s official address this includes hard copy and email invoices. No individual member can accept invoices this includes the Treasurer. All authorised cheques payable to external agencies are dispatched by the Panel’s administrator from the Panel’s official address with a covering letter on official headed Panel documentation All individual expenditure claims by members have to be accompanied by a receipt for the purchase or accommodation by the member.

Panel members can only receive reimbursement for attending workshops/seminars for which they have been officially delegated to represent the Panel. If an invite is received from a new organisation to which there is not a delegated Panel member between the scheduled monthly meetings an email is circulated asking for volunteers who may be interested in attending. A delegate is chosen from those who have expressed an interest.

The Panel hold a register of mileage for those travelling to the Central Belt, Inverness, and Perth etc. this is used as a template for members claiming mileage for attending events on behalf of the Panel.

All expenditure claim forms are scanned into the Panel’s administrator’s computer, with backup records being stored on the Panel’s Laptop and also stored on an external hard drive thereby ensuring a historical record is kept on all the Panel’s annual expenditures.


Centre for Inclusive Living Perth & KinrossTel: 01738 587282EmailOver the last year, CILPK have hosted four Public Safety Meetings in conjunction with Perth and Kinross Council, with several speakers including; Fire, Police, NHS Tayside, Safer Communities Team, Scotrail, Stagecoach, PKC Public Transport Unit, PKC Licensing Department.


The four meetings were; Safety in the Community, Safety in the Home, Safety on Public Transport and a roundup of all the issues following these meetings.

There was a good turnout for each and lots of issues were brought up, some that we were able to provide or get answers to, and some that have provided opportunities for further meetings in the future or posed questions that need to be answered from other Organisations. We hope to hold further meetings this year.

CILPK have also been working very hard the past few months towards Disabled Access Day which was on the 10, 11 and 12 of March. CILPK engaged with as many local businesses as possible to ask for their involvement over the weekend and show what access they have available for disabled customers.

We had over 50 businesses involved over the weekend. CILPK also presented awards for the most accessible venue and the most improved access in Perth and Kinross 2016-2017, the venues were nominated by CILPK Members.

To end Disabled Access Day on the Sunday CILPK had a Charity Event at The Twa Tams who were last years winners of Most Accessible Venue to raise funds for our Organisation, this was a great success and we raised almost £200.

Over the next few months, CILPK will be working with Perth and Kinross Council Traffic and Network Team regarding dropped kerbs and crossings to make the area more accessible.

Following the Public Safety Meetings there will be a bus try out day with Stagecoach, where people can try out the buses and make comments on where they could be improved for all disabled people.

Skye & Lochalsh Access PanelEmail


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AboutWe are a small Access Panel with only about ten members. We focus on working with the planning department and giving advice to small businesses about accessibility.

What have we been up to?We get lots of people coming to ask for advice and we have been involved with the Church of Scotland to review their churches.

We are also involved in the planning and design of the new hospital to be built on Skye.

We also get involved with the ferries too.

The Bank of Scotland has recently closed the only accessible bank, so the only bank left is up some steps which is not acceptable as the ramp they have put in has two right turns.

We have members of the public coming to ask us to visit places which are inaccessible and where they have been treated unfairly.

The schools want us to go and talk about disability with the children.

Joint Us!We are encouraging people to join the Access Panel. We have some accessible material published to make the community aware of the work we do. If you would like to join Skye & Lochalsh Access Panel, please email:

[email protected]

West Lothian Access CommitteeTel: 01506 774030Email



West Lothian Council Community Streets dropped kerbs and handrailsReferral to committee for a number of requests, comments and recommendations given. Aim toimprove access for local community, to join up drop kerbs to pavements, install handrails on stair and to paths where practical to do so.

New Builds, and Refurbishments●Whitehill Service Centre Refurbishment – Review showers, car parking.

●Armadale Community Centre Nursery Extension. Resting place and entry system

●Blackburn Partnership Centre Development. Loops, signage, toilets

●West Lothian Social Housing – wheelchair accessible housing, issues with accessible bathroom design.

Scottish Building Standards – looking at difficulty of minimum standards and practical use by disabled people.

Local Issues●Arrochar House Accessibility – issues with parking and location of entrance.

●Party at the Palace accessibility – Update on access issues from 2016 event

● Taxi Variation Application – West Lothian Council requested comments for committee on a variation application they received. Members commented against granting variation, Licensing denied currently going through appeal process

● Livingston Retail Park new development – checking access features

●Parking Issues, Blue Badge Abuse

● Train Cancellations and access issues

● Local Allotments Access

● Local Bowling Club Access

● ‘Walk and Talk’ Audit HMP Addiewell, Football Club

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6 ways to Get Involved1. Join your local Access Panel

www.accesspanelnetwork.org.uk/directory-panels

2. Be on our mailing list and join SDEF www.sdef.org.uk/index.php/become- a - member

3. Like our Facebook Pages Scottish Disability Equality Forum Access Panel Network

4. Follow us on twitter SDEForum AccessPanelNet

5. Come along to our events

6. Spread the word and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to join

OPEN DOOR is published byScottish Disability Equality Forum Office 2/4, The e-Centre Cooperage Way AlloaFK10 3LPTel: 01259 272064Email:

SDEF is Registered in Scotland as a Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Status

Charity Number SC031893, Company Number SC243392

Our Sponsors...SDEF are proud to be supporting Scotland's Able magazine, a disability lifestyle magazine which provides news articles and information around disability issues in Scotland.

Scottish Disability Equality Forum is grateful for the generosity of its sponsors and their ongoing support as we work together toward achieving the goals of the organisation.

If you are interested in sponsoring our magazine OPEN DOOR, please complete our online registration form - www.sdef.org.uk/index.php/our-sponsors Alternatively, please

contact email [email protected]

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