Karen Adam MSP Welcomes New £1.5 Million Fund to Improve Access for Disabled People
Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, has welcomed the launch of a new £1.5 million Improving Access Fund, which will help to break down barriers and strengthen access to vital services that disabled people rely on across Scotland.
The fund, jointly designed with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), forms a key part of the Scottish Government’s £3 million Disability Equality Plan. It aims to put lived experience at the heart of decision-making and support greater independence, inclusion, and wellbeing for disabled people.
The Improving Access Fund will support a wide range of projects that make a real difference to people’s lives, from improving access to financial advice and support, to expanding opportunities for community participation and tackling isolation. It will also focus on mental health and wellbeing, ensuring disabled people can access the help they need in safe and inclusive spaces.
Karen Adam MSP said:
“I warmly welcome this new fund, which will help improve access to essential services and strengthen the independence and dignity of disabled people, not just across Scotland, but right here in Banffshire and Buchan Coast.
I’ve seen firsthand the barriers many face when it comes to accessing basic services and support, and I know how much difference the right help can make. The Improving Access Fund is about tackling those barriers head-on, designed with disabled people, for disabled people, ensuring everyone has the chance to participate fully in their communities and live the lives they choose.”
Minister for Equalities Kaukab Stewart added:
“Scotland should be a country where disabled people can live the lives they choose, supported, empowered, and included every step of the way. Today’s launch of our Improving Access Fund is a really important step towards that.”
Administered by Inspiring Scotland, the Fund will back peer-led initiatives that align with the Disability Equality Plan and the social model of disability. Its goals include improving financial security for disabled households through accessible advice and income-boosting initiatives, enhancing digital access and skills to support civic and economic participation, expanding representation in local decision-making, and promoting mental wellbeing by challenging stigma and discrimination.
Karen Adam added:
“Here in our coastal and rural communities, access to services can already be challenging, so it’s vital that disabled people are not left behind. I’m proud to see the Scottish Government taking real, practical action to make equality a lived reality for everyone.”