The Access to Elected Office Fund: Empowering Disabled Voices in Scotland ========================================================================== Standing for election can be a daunting task, especially for disabled individuals. The Access to Elected Office Fund is here to help! This fantastic initiative covers the additional disability-related costs that can make it harder for disabled people to run for office. Let’s dive into the details! Who Can Apply? -------------- Th

Last month, our Deafblind Centre in Kirkintilloch welcomed Radio 4 journalist Ian Hamilton to speak with some of our members about an important topic, the recognition of deafblindness as a distinct disability in Scotland. During his visit, Ian interviewed members Iain and Andrew, along with our Chief Executive, Isabella, to share their experiences and perspectives. The conversation explored why formal recognition matters, how it can help improve access to services, and the im

The Deafblind Scotland BSL Choir recently had the incredible opportunity to perform at the Lenzie Community Festival on Saturday 9th August. We wanted to take a moment to reflect on the unique experience of performing music with British Sign Language. At the festival, we performed two songs: 'I have a dream' and 'thank you for the music'. The choir's beautiful rendition of these songs truly showed the magic of BSL. We are so proud of our choir members and we can't wait for ou

We're absolutely thrilled to introduce the newest member of the Deafblind Scotland family: Donna Finlayson! Donna joined us on July 8th, 2025, in the vital role of Business Development Lead. Donna's passion for our mission and her extensive experience in securing funding will be instrumental in supporting our activities and advocacy work. We sat down with her to learn more about what attracted her to Deafblind Scotland, what her role involves, and even some of her amazing adv

Two deafblind people communicate through tactile signing on a bench. On this the first United Nations endorsed International Day of Deafblindness, we are able to share with you the most incredible news. Today following a Parliamentary Question posed by the Convenor of the Cross-party Group on Deafness Colin Beattie, the Minister of Health and Social Care Tom Arthur has formally recognised Deafblindness as a distinct disability stating ‘The Scottish Government recognises the d

Overview An estimated 1.3 billion people globally experience significant disability. This figure has grown over the last decade and will continue to rise due to demographic and epidemiological changes. In 2022, the World Health Organization launched the Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities. This report demonstrated that many persons with disabilities are still being left behind. Experiencing persistent health inequities, persons with disabilities die e

Want to know what type of support is out there for deafblind people living in Scotland? Well, Jennifer Murray chats to Isabella Goldie to learn all about Deafblind Scotland and the work they do. Listen here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8663711-deafblind-scotland-interview-with-ceo-isabella-goldie Image description: Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB’ written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the li

Songwriter, Jo-Anne wrote her song about deafblindness after meeting many Deafblind Scotland members. She said: “I wrote the song after meeting many deafblind people, learning about them and their stories, and how they feel about themselves; how people often don’t speak to them and ignore them, and how they are sometimes excluded from that social aspect of life. “This song hopes to bring these stories to life.” Jo-Anne's song tells the story of a young girl who tries to convi

Alison and Rory visited Speed Of Sight Charity in Fife and had an incredible time speeding around in dual-assisted cars! This charity offers fantastic opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in motorsports, boosting their self-esteem, social interaction, and physical and mental well-being. We believe everyone should have the chance to engage in sports and physical activities, and Speed of Sight makes this possible!