Awards announced from £1.5 million Improving Access Fund
More than 30 organisations and specialist groups across Scotland
that work with disabled people to strengthen their advocacy and
rights, improve their access to services and increase their
participation in social, cultural and community life have been
awarded a total of £1.5 million from the Improving Access Fund.
Established last year as part of the Disability Equality Plan,
the Improving Access Fund offers grants for projects led by - and
for - disabled people to improve access to essential services and
promote independent living, choice, and participation. The design
of the fund was developed jointly with Disabled People's
Organisations in Scotland.
The projects funded through the Improving Access Fund will
support disabled people of all ages, with a particular focus on
rural and island communities including the Western Isles,
Shetland, Orkney, Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway and
Highland.
These include:
-
Ability Borders, who will use the funding to
expand services that provide information on disability benefits
and training for self-advocacy and confident communication.
-
VOX Scotland, who will use the funding to
create peer‑led advocacy spaces in rural and island communities
and ensure the lived‑experience of disabled people is reflected
in mental health policy.
-
Euan's Guide, who will use the funding to
recruit 100 new disabled volunteers and expand accessible
information resources across rural and urban areas.
-
Finding Your Feet, who will use the funding to
grow hospital outreach, peer support and income‑maximisation
services for amputees across Scotland.
Visiting Euan's Guide to announce the awards, Equalities Minister
said:
“We are determined that Scotland is a country where disabled
people can live the lives they choose - supported, empowered and
included every step of the way.
“The aim of this fund is to ensure disabled people's voices are
better represented across Scotland and I hope it will make a real
and lasting difference for disabled people. By investing in
organisations led by people with lived experience, we are
expanding vital advocacy, strengthening rights, and creating more
opportunities for disabled people to participate fully in their
communities.
“I'm pleased that Euan's Guide, and many organisations like them
across Scotland, will now be able to expand their vital work as a
result of our Improving Access Fund. These projects will help
break down barriers in rural, island and urban areas alike,
ensuring more people can access the support, connections and
services they need.
A spokesperson on behalf of Disabled People's Organisations,
represented by Inclusion Scotland, Glasgow Disability Alliance
and Disability Equality Scotland, said:
“We welcome the Improving Access Fund as a significant and timely
step in advancing disability equality, independent living and
participation. We are heartened that disabled‑people‑led
co‑design has shaped this Fund, ensuring it strengthens DPOs and
supports organisations to deliver services that are accessible to
communities across Scotland. This targeted investment will
strengthen vital services and drive meaningful, lasting
improvements in people's daily lives.”
Antonia Lee-Bapty, Chief Executive of Euan's Guide, said:
"We are thrilled to receive this support from the Improving
Access Fund. At Euan's Guide, we know that the best information
comes from disabled people themselves. This funding allows us to
supercharge our volunteer programme, giving more people the tools
and confidence to share their lived experiences. By providing
trusted, disabled people-led reviews, we are supporting the right
to independent living - ensuring disabled people have the same
freedom, choice, and control over where they go as everyone
else.”
Background
The full list of funded organisations is available on the
Inspiring Scotland website.
A total of 33 organisations will be funded, covering more than 30
local authority areas as well as several national programmes.
Disabled volunteers, peer supporters, and lived‑experience staff
will play a central role in designing and delivering services,
ensuring programmes remain firmly rooted in the social model of
disability. Many projects specifically expand into areas where
access to services is limited, supporting people who face
barriers due to geography, income, or additional protected
characteristics.
Disability equality plan -
gov.scot
