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Personnel
SDEF Patron, The Right Honourable George Reid
- Born Tullibody, Scotland 1939. Married with two daughters.
- Educated Dollar Academy and University of St Andrews.
- Producer and Correspondent with ITV and BBC in UK, Europe and Africa.
- MP (SNP) and Member of the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe and Western European Union 1974-79.
- Director of Public Affairs of the International Red Cross, Adviser to Javier Perez�
de Cuellar 1984-96. Served in wars and disasters world-wide. - Member of the Steering Group for the Scottish Parliament 1998-9.
- Elected Member of the Scottish Parliament and Deputy Presiding Officer.
- Elected Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.
- Appointed a Privy Councillor.
Management Board
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In past years I have concentrated my time and effort on organisations involved in Open Space Access, on a number of which I represent SDEF. I serve on the committees of nine bodies which are connected to countryside access matters.
I have, on behalf of SDEF, designed a student graduate course for both the Built Environment and Open Space, in conjunction with Heriot-Watt University. The course, to include people with disability who wish to have a recognised qualification in Access, is of 13 weeks duration, comprising four weeks on campus and nine weeks of distance learning in the home.
A successful application was made to the Scottish Executive for funding towards a bursary to provide assistance with the cost of the course and travel for students with a disability. The first course� commenced in January 2005.
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I was diagnosed with MS twenty years ago. Voluntary work, since becoming disabled, consists of Kilmarnock Forum on Disability, where I served as Chairman for three years. I served as a Director of the Personal Assistance Support Scheme and as a Director of SDEF for three years.
In the early days I worked with the late Convenor in negotiating our first core grant. Later I was on the Steering Group for Access Panels, convened at SCVO, which made recommendations and led to the establishment of the Umbrella Body.
I have been a member of the East Ayrshire Access Panel (North District) for four years and am currently Chairman.
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I was duly elected to the Management Committee where I was appointed Secretary.
My past work experience was in nursing and I served long terms on several committees in Scouting (which continued long after my three sons were no longer Scouts), on Church women’s activities as Secretary and President and since retiring, on several disability organisations.
I have been involved in Close Proximity Parking, Access Group and in the NHS Disability Working Group.
In 1998 I was awarded Aberdeen City Council’s first “Equal Opportunities Award” an honour I shared with Grampian Racial Equality Council.
In SDEF, in addition to being Company Secretary, I am the representative to the Built Environment Reference Group of the Disability Rights Commission and, when it functions, the Parliamentary Cross-Party Group on Disability.
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Chartered Architect aged sixty nine years. Professional qualifications, Dip. Arch. (Abdn.), RIBA., FRIAS.� I have spent my whole professional life in private practice, working mainly throughout the North of Scotland; virtually all of the time as principal and senior partner of my own practice.� I am now semi-retired and act as a consultant to my former practice.
I am interested in all aspects of my profession, particularly in the fields of conservation and in creating access for people with disabilities. I am a founder member of the Inverness Civic Trust and have served two terms as chairman.� I have been a member of the Inverness Access Panel since 1982 and I am at present the vice-convener. I serve as a member of BERG and LID (Built Environment Response Group, and Learning Inclusive Design) groups formed by the Disability Rights Commission in Scotland.
My general interests include Rotary, the Saltire Society, walking, sailing, gardening and painting. My first wife, Irma, to whom I was married for thirty nine years, died from liver cancer three years ago, and last October I married Fiona.� We share an interest in the working to improve disability access.
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I am an active member of the Lochaber Access Panel, we meet once a fortnight, and I also serve on their Awards Sub-Committee.�� Having been non disabled (swimming teacher) for most of my life, following a stroke,� I am now disabled and I have had to learn to cope with a huge change in my life which has given me a first hand insight into the needs of disabled people.� Our Panel works hard to press developers and others to strive for an equal world. I am committed to this and I would truly represent disabled people and the Panels as an SDEF director and ensure that it is disabled people that are at the forefront of policy making.
I live in a small crofting township about five miles south east of Fort
William.�� I am the mother of two grown up children and a proud
grandmother.�� Scotland’s rural areas need strong representation on SDEF and
I feel that, with my fresh strong mind, I could bring this to the Board.� I
am committed to promoting the development of the access panel system
throughout Scotland and, with its vast array of knowledge and skills, I want
to see it evolve as the first point of contact for all public bodies,
architects, designers, developers, medical people, countryside rangers
etc.�� To this end, I would press central government for secure core
funding.
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I am a person with a disability and a carer for my wife, and therefore I am aware of both sides of many disability issues. I also have a degree in Sociology, and I participated in the Inclusive Environmental Access and Design course, because I am determined to use my accumulated knowledge for the benefit of the Disabled Community. As Convenor of our local Disabled Persons Housing Service and a member of other local and national disability organisations, I often find that I am helping people with issues beyond housing, frequently at a strategic level. I try to influence decisions and policy making, and to work with the other Directors to advance many of the causes being championed by SDEF. I believe in working from the bottom up so we can work together for the benefit of us all.
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Other training has included Disability Awareness and Information Provision and Standards.
I� have a physical disability and my husband has a sensory impairment. As a result of these disabilities I use my personal experiences to give a holistic approach to disability issues and to argue for
access for all.
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As a person with a disability, I have been a volunteer and Board Member of Disability West Lothian for over ten years and the Chairperson for the past five years. Being the Chair I help to bring together individuals and representatives of organisations who are committed to improving the quality of life of disabled people in West Lothian.�
As the Chairperson of the West Lothian Access Committee I work closely with other disabled members, West Lothian Council and other groups, to improve access for all.�
As a member of both Disability West Lothian and the Access Committee, I have been able to assist, via disability awareness raising, to lower the physical and attitudinal barriers disabled people meet in society today.�
I am also a youth worker, running the Bathgate Phab Club for young people, with or without disabilities, aged fourteen to twenty five. For the past four years I have jointly co-ordinated the club’s Youth Exchanges in Scotland and Germany�
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Staff
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Prior to joining SDEF Keith was chairperson of Perth and Kinross Access Group, served on Perth Shopmobility and many other voluntary organisations. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Environmental Access and Design from Heriot Watt University.
He was medically discharged from the Royal Navy in 1973 and worked as a butcher until 1983. From the early 1980s Keith has worked in many fields in the care sector and was also a Local Authority Councillor from 1995 to 1999.
He is delighted to be working as the Access Development Officer for SDEF and believes fervently in the individuality and autonomy of every Access Panel in Scotland.� So if you have a problem and no one else can help - who do you call? the ADO!
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� Copyright Scottish Disability Equality Forum 2003-2007
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