Disability Equality Scotland

13/11/2025

Do you use a free bus pass? 🚌

Transport Scotland is reviewing the Older and Disabled Person’s Free Bus Pass Scheme and wants to hear from people who use it.

Have your say before 23 November.

Have your say on for older and disabled people in Scotland.

Take our survey if you have either:

🔹 a 60+ free bus pass, or
🔹 a disabled persons’ bus pass

Tell us your views, regardless of how often you use it.

Closes 23 November ➡️ https://online1.snapsurveys.com/ODPS

10/11/2025

Do you publish data using graphs and charts?

You need to think about how your chosen colours appear to someone with colour blindness.

Colours that look different to you may look similar to someone else – like in this example, where blue and purple appear very similar. Protanopia is 1 type of colour blindness. There are different types of colour blindness, and they affect vision in different ways.

In the UK there are about 3 million colour blind people – this is about 4.5% of the whole UK population.

To see if your colour choices are accessible for people with colour blindness, you can use an online checker – we will put a link to one in the comments on this post.

07/11/2025

We were proud to attend today’s launch of the Improving Access Fund!

We joined our partners Glasgow Disability Alliance and Inclusion Scotland, along with other Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs). The Minister for Equalities, Kaukab Stewart MSP, formally announced that the Fund is now open.

This £1.5 million fund is part of The Scottish Government’s Disability Equality Plan. It was co-designed with disabled people and DPOs, building on the campaign.

The Fund will support projects led by third sector and community groups that:
🔹 Improve access to financial advice and support
🔹 Increase participation in communities and everyday life
🔹 Strengthen mental health and wellbeing

Lyn Pornaro, CEO of Disability Equality Scotland, said:
“Disabled people demand justice and access to services, buildings, events and public bodies – in the same way as non-disabled people. This fund is a starting point to improving access to the key areas of focus in the Disability Equality Plan and, most importantly, in the lives of disabled people daily.”

We look forward to continuing to work alongside DPOs and disabled people to drive change and improve access across Scotland.

The fund is run by Inspiring Scotland. Find out more and apply here:
https://inspiringscotland.org.uk/fund/improving-access-fund/

07/11/2025

🙏 Thank You to Our Board of Trustees'

For Trustees' Week we would like to recognise and celebrate our Board at Disability Equality Scotland!

Our Trustees' give their time, insight, and lived experience to guide our organisation. Their leadership helps ensure that disabled people across Scotland have their voices heard and their rights championed.

To each of our Trustees', thank you for your continued dedication and support. Your skills, expertise, and commitment make a real difference.

Learn more about our Board:

👉 https://disabilityequality.scot/meet-the-team/

06/11/2025

Join our friends at Passion4Social CIC on Wednesday 10 December from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm for ‘AI for Good: Ethics, Inclusion and Sustainability’.

This interactive, 60-minute session will provide participants with valuable insights into the double-edged role of AI: its potential to expand access, independent living, and opportunities to progress, as well as the risks it poses when not designed and deployed responsibly.

Whether you work in digital technology, policy-making, disability advocacy, or are simply curious about the future of AI, this webinar is for you.

Accessibility support will be available on request, including live captions, audio descriptions of materials as they appear on screen, and technical support.

Reserve your free spot today:
https://events.humanitix.com/ai-for-good-ethics-inclusion-and-sustainability?c=des

05/11/2025

Do you ever give presentations, whether at work, in education, or in your community? Here are a few simple things you can do to make your presentation more accessible.

If you want to learn more about accessible and inclusive communication, please get in touch with our Training team.

03/11/2025

🚆 Closing Date Extended: Accessible Travel Surveys Now Open Until Wednesday 19 November 2025!

Thanks to the strong response so far to the Accessible Travel Framework consultation. We have extended the deadline to give more people the chance to share their views.

Have your say by completing our short surveys on how to make travel more accessible for everyone:

📢 Public Transport: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ATFPublicTransport/
📢 People’s Journeys: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ATFPeoplesJourneys/
📢 Hate Crime on Public Transport: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ATFHateCrime/

Easy Read versions of all three surveys are available.



Transport Scotland

31/10/2025

🚆 Our Accessible Travel surveys close on Monday!

We are working with Transport Scotland Scotland to gather views from disabled people on how to make travel more accessible for everyone.

Take part this weekend and share your experiences by completing our three short surveys:

📢 Public Transport: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ATFPublicTransport/

📢 People’s Journeys: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ATFPeoplesJourneys/

📢 Hate Crime on Public Transport: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ATFHateCrime/

Easy Read versions of all three surveys are also available.

The Surveys close Monday 3 November at 12pm.

29/10/2025

That is a wrap on the Disability Equality Scotland 2025 Annual General Meeting and Celebration Event! 🎉

This afternoon, we continued our focus on , exploring how we can make information and communication accessible for everyone.

✳️ Kim from Communication Inclusion People shared work with The Scottish Government to develop the Inclusive Communication Toolkit. This resource will help all of Scotland’s public bodies embed Inclusive Communication in their policies, practices, and services.
✳️ Roger and Sonya have worked with many others over the past year to create the UK Easy Read Standards. Today, they introduced the Standards to make Easy Read consistent and recognised across the United Kingdom.
✳️ Ian shared an update on how Disability Equality Scotland is making recent research more accessible. This ensures that information and insights are available to everyone.
✳️ Sarah provided an update on the Access Panel Network. She highlighted the important work of Access Panels across Scotland in improving access and inclusion within local communities.
✳️The event was closed by Kaukab Stewart MSP, Scotland’s Minister for Equalities. In her video message, she reaffirmed Scotland’s commitment to advancing accessibility, inclusion, and Inclusive Communication across public services.

We extend our thanks to everyone who attended in person and online, and to all our speakers and partners for their important contributions to today’s event.💜

29/10/2025

It is now lunchtime at the Disability Equality Scotland 2025 Annual General Meeting and Celebration Event!

This year’s theme is Inclusive Communication, exploring how we can break down barriers and make information accessible to everyone.

So far, we have heard fascinating insights from William Kremer on how BBC News has been made more accessible for people with a learning disability.

We also heard from Douglas and Pamela about the Accessible Travel Framework surveys, which are now live and open for feedback. These surveys will help shape future improvements to accessible travel in Scotland.

During lunch, we are continuing discussions and encouraging everyone to take part in the Accessible Travel Framework consultation.

We look forward to the next session this afternoon!

29/10/2025

We are underway at the Disability Equality Scotland 2025 Annual General Meeting and Celebration Event! 🎉

It is fantastic to welcome our members, partners, and guests joining us both online and at P&J Live in Aberdeen for a day of celebration.

This year’s event is themed around Inclusive Communication, exploring how we can break down barriers and make communication accessible to everyone.

If you are attending, we would love to see your photos, posts, and reflections. Please use to share your experience. 💬

28/10/2025

🎉 Our 2025 Annual General Meeting and Celebration Event takes place tomorrow!

We are excited to host members, partners, and guests online and at P&J Live in Aberdeen for a day of celebration.

This year’s theme is Inclusive Communication, and we are delighted to feature the following presentations:

✳️ Communication Inclusion People will share their work with the Scottish Government to develop the Inclusive Communication Toolkit. This resource will support all of Scotland’s listed authorities to embed Inclusive Communication throughout their work and services.

✳️ BBC News will deliver a presentation on how it is making its reporting, content, and platforms more inclusive and accessible for everyone.

✳️ The UK Easy Read Standards Working Group was started by Disability Equality Scotland and the UKAAF - UK Association for Accessible Formats in 2024. The group is set to unveil the first ever Easy Read UK Standards! They have worked together to create a recognised, consistent format for Easy Read across the United Kingdom.

We will also share updates from Disability Equality Scotland. This includes progress on the Accessible Travel Framework, recent research, and developments from the Access Panel Network.

We look forward to celebrating with everyone tomorrow!