National Access Panel Conference to Spotlight Disabled People’s Voices and Accessibility Disability Equality Scotland is pleased to share that this year’s summer Access Panel Conference will take place online and in person at Glasgow Caledonian University on Wednesday 17 June. Access Panels are groups of disabled people and local volunteers who work to improve accessibility and inclusion in their ...

Introducing Lucy Mulvagh, the New CEO of Disability Equality Scotland We are delighted to welcome Lucy Mulvagh as the new Chief Executive Officer of Disability Equality Scotland! Lucy joins us from the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), bringing a strong background in policy, research and championing the voices of disabled people. Speaking about starting in the role, Lucy sai...

Scottish Parliament Election 2026: Share your experience of voting accessibility Today is the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. This is your opportunity to vote for Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), who make decisions on issues such as health, education, and transport. Everyone over 16 who lives in Scotland has a right to participate in Scottish elections with equal freedom and independe...

PowerPoint, groups and accessibility Making an accessible PowerPoint slide is not as easy as it sounds, despite guidance from Microsoft itself. Sometimes we come across issues that need a bit of research before we figure out the solution. During a recent webinar, a question about “nested” boxes and alt-text came up, and I have to admit, I was initially confused. I did not understand what was meant...

Have Your Say: Scottish Parliament Election 2026 Postal Voting Survey Disability Equality Scotland is running a short survey to understand what it was like to vote by post. Your feedback will help improve how elections are run in the future, making sure everyone can take part as easily and independently as possible. What is the survey about? A postal vote means you receive your voting pack by post...

Scottish Parliament Election 2026 The next Scottish Parliament election will take place on 7 May 2026. This election allows people in Scotland aged 16 and over to vote for Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). MSPs represent people and make decisions on devolved issues such as health, education and transport. Key dates: Register to vote: midnight on Monday 20 April 2026 Apply for a postal vot...

New Chief Executive Officer appointed at Disability Equality Scotland Disability Equality Scotland (DES) is delighted to announce the appointment of Lucy Mulvagh as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Lucy joins us from the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), where she is Director of Policy, Research and Impact. She brings extensive experience in influencing policy and cham...

Celebrating Judy Heumann – Easy Read available Last month, to mark International Women’s Day, we created a new Easy Read about Judy Heumann to make her story more accessible to more people. Judy Heumann was a disabled activist who helped change laws and attitudes so that disabled people have more rights and opportunities today. This Easy Read explains her life and work using clear language, short ...

Update on Assisted Dying Bill in Scotland The Scottish Parliament voted on 17 March not to pass the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill after a long and detailed debate. This marks an important point in an ongoing discussion. The issue has raised complex and sensitive questions for many people. Disabled people’s voices have been an important part of this conversation. Many hav...

Coming soon – a new Inclusive Communication Toolkit for Scotland On 24 March, Scottish Government will share a new Inclusive Communication Toolkit for public services in Scotland. Public services include local councils, healthcare, transport companies, and many others who work with the people of Scotland. Inclusive communication means making sure that everyone can understand and take part. This ca...