Supporting, empowering and including disabled people
17 Mar 2026 01:55 PM
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 Kaukab Stewart yesterday 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, yesterday 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, yesterday 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