AccessAble

18/12/2025

A little seasonal update from Borders

https://mailchi.mp/048105c85ada/seasons-greetings-and-upcoming-dates-for-the-new-year Season's Greetings and upcoming dates for an exciting new year ahead.

16/12/2025

What do you think about community transport?

Please complete and share our survey so as many people as possible can take part and have their views included in Transport Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework.

Survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/atfcommunitytransportsurvey/

Downloadable Easy Read version: https://disabilityequality.scot/news/community-transport-and-active-travel-surveys/

15/12/2025

Please note that we will be taking a break over the festive period. Our office will close at the end of the day on Friday, 19th December and will reopen on Monday, 5th of January 2026. Sending seasons greetings from everyone here at the Access Panel for a very happy Christmas and all the best in the coming year.

03/12/2025

🌍 Today we mark the UN International Day of Disabled People, a reminder that disabled people must not only be included in society, but also truly heard.

Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities affirms the right of disabled people to full participation in political and public life, including the right to vote, stand for election, influence decisions and shape policies that affect our lives.

Real inclusion means removing barriers, and not expecting disabled people to navigate them alone. That’s why initiatives like the Scottish Government’s Access to Elected Office Fund administered by Inclusion Scotland exist: to ensure that disabled candidates in Scotland’s elections can campaign and participate on equal terms.

Find out more about the fund or apply today:
civicparticipation@inclusionscotland.org

https://inclusionscotland.org/disabled-people-become-a-leader/civic-participation/aeo-fund

Disabled people have the right to lead, to represent, to govern, and to bring lived experience into decision-making spaces.

Today — and every day — we advocate for that right.



Image description:

A graphic with the Inclusion Scotland logo at the top. Below it, the text reads “International Day of Persons with Disabilities” on a pink banner. At the bottom of the image there is a diverse illustrated group of disabled people: a person with a guide dog, a child using crutches, a person with a prosthetic leg, an older person using a walker, a person with a limb difference, and a person in a wheelchair raising their arms.

24/11/2025

In a week's time we will be helping Scottish Borders RapeCrisis Centre host their annual Reclaim The Night Borders March and stalls. We will be there to help make as much noise as possible to bring attention to the fact that Gender based violence needs to end and for the streets of the Borders to be safe for everyone to walk at night, without having to feel like they are constantly needing to watch over their shoulder.

This will be happening in Cornucopia in Hawick (for those who don't know where that is, its opposite the car park at the side of the Heart of Hawick Cinema). There will be speeches starting at 6PM and the March will start at 6:30pm with free soup and hot drinks afterwards.

Hopefully we can see as many people there as possible as the streets of the Borders should always be a safe place for anyone to walk at night!

17/11/2025

Latest edition of Ability Borders newsletter is out now!

https://mailchi.mp/8931a2e88a8d/november-news-from-ability-borders
Consultations and a call to action! We have lots to share in our November newsletter.

20/10/2025

What’s the hardest thing about being Disabled?

For me it’s the inaccessibility closely followed by the pity.

Ohhh the pity! To be a wheelchair user is to know that slow head tilt, followed by a sad lil smile and often an “Awwww it’s such a shame” to finish it off.

Back when I used to use crutches and people would ask me the inevitable “Awwww what have you don’t to yourself?” question. I’d reply very nonchalantly “I’ve not done anything, I’m disabled” and every single time. Every. Single. Time. They’d reply with “Oh I’m so sorry” and I’d then be forced to explain that sure it’s challenging but also my life is brilliant and amazing and all the rest of it. They’d never seem convinced tho 😂

A substitute teacher once overheard my then teen proudly (I know right imagine your teenager being proud of you 😳) talk about how I’d been on the radio. She said to him “Awwww your Mums in a wheelchair that must be so sad” to which he replied “Not at all she’s got a great life” and she replied by double downing on the fact that it’s really sad 🙄 whilst completely ignoring his pride in what I’d done.

Yes being in a wheelchair is challenging, some days I miss being able to walk so much. You know what I miss more tho? My Ma. She rudely died last year and that’s been far more painful, and devastating than not being able to walk ever has.

That’s the thing isn’t it, all lives are challenging. We might become disabled, might lose a loved one. Might get divorced or lose our jobs etc etc.

Strangers don’t know about those challenges tho, I don’t get automatic pity from people because my Mum died because they don’t know. Unfortunately tho my ornamental leg challenges are clear for all to see and then pity is yacked in my face wherever I go 😂

That pity is also so misplaced. Don’t pity me because my legs don’t work (my wheelchair fixes that) have empathy that everywhere is still so inaccessible and people are still so weirdy weirdy around wheelchair users (both things that can be fixed!!).

A non walking life is no less of a life.

Keep your pity in your pants ☺️

Image description: Nina a white middle aged wheelchair user is in a field with the London skyline in the background. She has brown midlength hair with a fringe and pink highlights round her face and she’s wearing a teal leopard print maxi dress, smiling at the camera.

27/08/2025

Supersmith: https://supersmith.co/
TRL: https://www.trl.co.uk/
CoMoUK: https://www.como.org.uk/
Wheels for Wellbeing: https://wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk/
and Freedom365

are conducting a research project to design an inclusive shared mobility scheme based around Supersmith’s new mobility device, the ‘3Scooter’.

Shared mobility schemes are services that enable short-term access to small, lightweight vehicles like bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters, as an alternative to other public or private transport modes. Examples include Lime, Tier, Beryl, and Voi.

Purpose of the survey

The purpose of this survey is to further explore disabled people’s access needs in relation to shared mobility schemes. This survey has been informed by the findings from previous user testing with disabled people and intends to expand on this initial feedback to draw stronger conclusions from a broader sample of disabled people.

The questions are designed to understand your access needs and the barriers you may face with regards to a shared mobility scheme based around the 3Scooter.

The questions cover the following areas:
Demographics
Hire models
Parking models
Environments and usage

Completing the survey:

https://researchinstitutefdc.fra1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eDTocMGwetf2Dhc?Q_DL=KNwvWFrrCEegH0k_eDTocMGwetf2Dhc_CGC_k4KAs6jBkLsGAqm&Q_CHL=email

The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete.
You do not have to complete the survey in one go. You can pause and finish it later.

The survey will close on Tuesday the 9th of September at 12.00.

At the end of the survey, you will have the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw to win one of five £50 shopping vouchers.

If you would prefer to complete this form in a different way, please email Douglas Carr at douglascarr@ridc.org.uk or call 020 7427 2467 and a member of the team will be in touch. If you have any further questions, please email douglascarr@ridc.org.uk

Background: This project is being funded by the National Centre for Accessible Transport’s (ncat) Scaling Innovation programme https://www.ncat.uk/projects/scaling-innovation/, which provides funding to industry partners to develop and test solutions to improve transport for disabled people.

The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

12/08/2025

If you use the bus service in the Scottish Borders, please, take some time to feed into this consultation. Watch the video below to find out more and then have your say. It is particularly important that people living with a disability have their voices heard.

23/07/2025

Congratulations to Ability Borders on reaching their 10th birthday. Read all about it in their latest newsletter.

Ten glorious years! Yes, Ability Borders has just turned 10. Read more about it in our latest newsletter where we are sharing ideas for breaks suitable for disabled people and carers, opportunities to have your voice heard through consultations and a chance to help with research as well as all the usual signposting and useful information! Read on...
https://mailchi.mp/7f2d54836960/ability-borders-turns-10

26/06/2025

Our latest training programme, for August-December - is out now! With NEW courses for 2025 included! Book your place now. - https://mailchi.mp/c1eb96154558/borders-care-learning-network-update

26/06/2025

Happy Monday! How are you doing? I hope you had a fantastic weekend! 🤗 I was wondering...what is your favourite accessible place to visit in the UK? Do you have any trips planned for the summer? I'd love to read your suggestions and hope they can spark some inspiration for all of us! 💜