Tag: results

Group of swimmers smiling to the camera. The are sitting poolside with their club's purple t-shorts on. A few of them are holding a sign which says, I support the Scottish Disability Sport's call to action to remove barriers to physical activity and sport.

Parties in Power: What Shapes Priorities

By Mark Gaffney, Head of Policy at Scottish Disability Sport 

While whichever party is in control undoubtedly frames legislative direction, influence in Scotland is more nuanced than simple majority rule.

  • The governing party (or parties) set budgets, shape national strategies (such as sport and health frameworks), and control most legislative time.
  • Opposition parties influence through First Minster Questions (FMQs), scrutiny, amendments, and committee work.
  • Smaller parties and individual MSPs can exercise disproportionate influence where parliamentary margins are tight.

For disability sport, this creates several practical realities:

  1. Policy Windows Are Political

Investment in inclusive sport and physical activity often aligns with broader agendas—public health improvement, tackling inequality, or community regeneration. Engagement is most effective when framed within those priorities rather than positioned as a standalone “special interest.” Historically – and indeed, currently – the challenge has been to get the Scottish Government and opposition parties to see sport as a priority area. This remains the central challenge for SGBs and other associated organisations in Scotland.  

  1. Cross-Party Support Matters

Disability sport rarely divides along party lines, but it can fall between them if not actively championed. Building relationships across parties increases the likelihood that:

  • Issues are raised in debates regardless of who is in power
  • Amendments are supported during budget negotiations
  • Committee inquiries include disability-specific evidence
  1. Committees Are Critical

Much of the meaningful work happens away from headline debates. Committees covering health, education, and social justice are key sites where disability sport concerns—such as access, funding equity, or data gaps—can be formally examined. This is why evidencing impact through data, research and insights is important.

 

Engagement Through a Disability Sport Lens

If the structures of power are complex, so too must be the approaches to engagement. Disability sport provides a particularly strong framework because it connects visibility, participation, and rights.

  1. From Storytelling to Evidence

Personal stories matter—but on their own they are often insufficient to drive policy change. Effective engagement pairs lived experience with:

  • Participation data (who is excluded and why)
  • Cost-benefit analysis (e.g. preventative health savings)
  • Comparisons with non-disabled participation rates
  • Strength in numbers – join forces with organisations with similar aims and objectives

MSPs—especially those in committees—respond to evidence that can shape policy, not just illustrate gaps.

  1. Local Anchoring, National Framing

A wheelchair user unable to access a local sports hall is a constituency issue. But when that story is repeated across regions, it becomes a national policy failure.

The most effective engagement strategies:

  • Start with constituency MSPs to resolve or highlight the issue
  • Escalate through regional MSPs and party spokespeople
  • Feed into committee evidence, cross-party groups and national campaigns

This layered approach mirrors how decisions are made.

  1. Aligning With Existing Policy Agendas

Disability sport gains traction when linked to broader government priorities. For example:

  • Health: Positioning participation as reducing long-term NHS demand
  • Education: Highlighting inclusive PE and transitions into lifelong sport
  • Economy: Emphasising employment pathways within sport for disabled people

This alignment makes it harder for policymakers to treat disability sport as optional.

 

Barriers to Engagement Still Persist

Despite structural opportunities, there remain persistent barriers:

  • Accessibility of political processes: Meetings, consultations, and documents are not always accessible or inclusive (although improvements have been made recently)
  • Capacity of disabled people’s organisations: Many are under-resourced and cannot sustain ongoing engagement
  • Fragmentation: Sport, health, and disability policy often operate in silos

These barriers mean that opportunities for influence are unevenly distributed—and often exclude those most affected.

 

What Should Change in This Parliamentary Term

If the post‑election period is to deliver meaningful progress for disability sport, three shifts are needed:

  1. Proactive Outreach by MSPs

Rather than relying on organisations to initiate engagement, MSPs—both constituency and regional—should actively build relationships with disability sport groups and participants, so feel free to hold them accountable for doing so.

  1. Embedding Disability Sport in Scrutiny

Committees should consistently examine inclusion within sport, not as an occasional topic but as a recurring accountability issue.

  1. Supporting Participation in Decision-Making

This includes:

  • Funding for representative organisations
  • Accessible consultation processes
  • Paid opportunities for disabled people to contribute expertise

 

A System That Requires Navigation—and Change

The Scottish Parliament offers multiple routes to influence, but they are not always obvious or equally accessible. For those working in disability sport, success depends on understanding how constituency advocacy, regional influence, and party dynamics interact.

The challenge after this election is not simply whether disability sport appears in policy documents—it is whether disabled people can consistently shape those policies at every level.

Because real inclusion in sport is not achieved on the field, court or sports hall alone. It is built in how decisions are made, who is heard, and whether power is genuinely shared and proportionate.

Scottish Disability Sport has launched a four-point Call to Action that calls on organisations across Scotland to take urgent action to remove the significant barriers faced by people with a disability in accessing sport and physical activity. 

The four-point Call to Action follows the publication of a new national survey by SDS, which highlights the ongoing inequalities experienced by people with a disability and the impact this has on their quality of life.  

Key actions called for include:

  • Plan to Include
  • Deliver an inclusive whole system approach 
  • A benefits and social care system that equips individuals to be active 
  • Champion intersectionality through a person-centred approach 

More information about the Call to Action, can be found via this link: https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BC-and-AGM-CTA-Presentation_PDF-for-Website.pdf 

View the key findings of the National Survey can be found via this link: https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SDS-National-Survey-Findings-CEO-Circulation.pdf.

Action photo of Scott MyIntyre about to throw a red boccia ball. His competitor, Tyler McLelland, is in the background watching on.

Mapping Power and Access Following Scottish Election

Mapping Power and Access: Disability Sport, MSPs and the Routes to Engagement After the Scottish Election

By Mark Gaffney, Head of Policy at Scottish Disability Sport 

 

The post‑election landscape in Scotland is not just defined by which party holds power, but by how that power is distributed between constituency MSPs, regional MSPs, and parliamentary committees. For disabled people—particularly those engaged in or excluded from sport—understanding this architecture can be crucial. Influence does not sit in one place, and neither do opportunities for change.

This is especially true for disability sport, which cuts across portfolios: health, education, transport, local government, and social justice. Any serious effort to improve access and participation depends on how effectively these levers are used—and how well disabled people can engage with those holding them.

 

Constituency vs Regional MSPs: Different Roles, Different Levers

Scotland’s Additional Member System creates two types of MSPs with distinct but complementary roles:

  • Constituency MSPs are directly elected and often act as primary casework advocates (i.e. support offered if someone in their constituency needs support). They are typically the most visible and locally embedded representatives.
  • Regional MSPs are elected from party lists to ensure proportionality, often covering broader areas and multiple constituencies.

For disability sport, this distinction matters.

Constituency MSPs tend to be the most effective route for:

  • Raising local issues such as inaccessible leisure facilities, transport barriers to clubs, or funding decisions by councils
  • Supporting grassroots organisations clubs and campaigning alongside local organisations
  • Convening local stakeholders (health boards, councils, schools)

Regional MSPs, meanwhile, are often better placed to:

  • Bring recurring issues across multiple areas into parliamentary debate
  • Champion systemic change (e.g. national funding models, Active Scotland priorities)
  • Sit on committees shaping legislation and scrutinising government policy

Too often, engagement efforts focus only on constituency MSPs. A more strategic approach—particularly for disability sport organisations— will use both and remains the challenge for SDS and its member branches: localised evidence paired with regional amplification.

Scottish Disability Sport has launched a four-point Call to Action that calls on organisations across Scotland to take urgent action to remove the significant barriers faced by people with a disability in accessing sport and physical activity. 

The four-point Call to Action follows the publication of a new national survey by SDS, which highlights the ongoing inequalities experienced by people with a disability and the impact this has on their quality of life.  

Key actions called for include:

  • Plan to Include
  • Deliver an inclusive whole system approach 
  • A benefits and social care system that equips individuals to be active 
  • Champion intersectionality through a person-centred approach 

More information about the Call to Action, can be found via this link: https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BC-and-AGM-CTA-Presentation_PDF-for-Website.pdf 

View the key findings of the National Survey can be found via this link: https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SDS-National-Survey-Findings-CEO-Circulation.pdf.

Five young people at a swimming event. They are sitting pool side and wearing their club's red polo tops. The two people in the front are hold a sign that says, I support the Scottish Disability Sport's call to action to remove barriers to sport and physical activity.

Overview of the Scottish Election Results

Total MSPs: 129 (65 needed for majority). Result (seats):

  • SNP (Scottish National Party): 58
  • Labour: 17
  • Reform UK: 17
  • Scottish Greens: 15
  • Conservatives: 12
  • Liberal Democrats: 10

 Key takeaways

  •  SNP remains largest party but short of a majority.
  • Opposition is fragmented, with Labour and Reform tied second.
  • Conservatives saw a major decline, while Greens and Lib Dems made gains

Policy context: disability & social care

  • Adult Disability Payment (ADP): Scotland’s replacement for PIP, providing support for daily living and mobility needs regardless of income.
  • Designed to be less assessment‑heavy and more person‑centred than UK benefits.
  • Self‑Directed Support (SDS): enables people to control social care budgets (often linked to participation, including sport and community activities—highlighted in policy discussions with MSPs).
  • One of Scottish Disability Sport’s key asks within the Call to Action is for a consistency of approach in removing policy barriers to physical activity and sport using the devolved powers of Adult/ Child Disability Payments and Self-Directed Support

Notable impacts in elected members

Shortly after John Swinney was confirmed as the First Minister following the procedural voting he announced a slimmed down Cabinet. Some familiar faces returned and others were shuffled about a bit. Neil Gray moves from health to justice with Angela Constance taking on the health and care Cabinet post. Given Angela Constance’s background as a social worker and mental health officer there is an obvious route to engagement and a potential sympathetic ear to the plight of people with disabilities and the barriers to sport and physical activity they face through their benefits having overseen the development of Scotland’s devolved social security system.

Shirley-Anne Somerville retains her role with social justice and housing but Jenny Gilruth moves on from education to become the Deputy FM with a finance and local government oversight. Mairi McAllan continues her impressive rise by securing the education portfolio. With no obvious background in the sector it is set to be a baptism of fire for her given the rhetoric surrounding the SNP’s performance on improving education in their twenty-years in power. The pragmatic Ivan McKee is elevated to a Cabinet post with a view to potentially beginning to broach the oft-mentioned £5 billion shortfall annual spending gap.  

Sport retains an explicit reference in a junior ministerial position, as it was within the last Scottish Government and, as widely expected, the previous incumbent Maree Todd has been awarded this area again with a slightly wider portfolio of Minister for mental wellbeing, public health, sport, alcohol & drugs policy. Although missing out in her constituency, Maree was elected via the Regional list.

Another junior minister that will certainly hold a relevance to the areas of work are Simita Kumar who follows Kaukab Stewart as the Minister for Equalities. Kaukab was an ally for disability sport and SDS engaged strongly with her team through the implementation of the first phase of the Disability Equality Plan which resulted in a successful bid to the Improving Access Fund to support young people in accessing coaching and leadership opportunities in sport.

As we know, disability cuts across a number of portfolio areas so engagement with those mentioned above from a Scottish Government perspective will be key to securing positive outcomes related to the SDS Call to Action.  

A number of MSPs who were very pro-sport have left (either not standing again or not re-elected). The CEO of Bowls Scotland (and former Strategic Partnerships Manager for sportscotland) Malcom Dingwall-Smith astutely points out that five former MSPs who held responsibility for sport either at Cabinet or Junior level have departed – along with a number of others who championed sport (and often disability sport) in the chamber and on strategic committees.

Previously, two of the biggest supporters of disability rights were Jeremy Balfour – who moved from a Conservative to an Independent MSP towards the end of the last term – and Pam Duncan-Glancy – who was a Labour MSP for the majority of the last parliament before becoming an Independent in the final few months. Together, they often fought for disability rights and convened the Cross-Party Group on Disability. Both are disabled – Pam was the first permanent wheelchair user in the Scottish Parliament and a frontbencher – and were strong advocates of inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities. Both Jeremy and Pam will not be represented in the Scottish Parliament in 2026.

The Scottish Green Party have made gains in representation and as the party with the most explicit referencing to disability within their manifesto, there are likely to be routes to engagement there.

 Useful Links: Election 2026 | Scottish Parliament Website

Photo of adults and young children all together holding up signs that say they support the Scottish Disability Sport Call to Action to remove barriers to physical activity and sport.

After the Election: Will Disabled People Be Heard?

After the Ballots Are Counted: A Moment of Reckoning for Disabled People in Scotland

By Mark Gaffney, Head of Policy at Scottish Disability Sport 

The Scottish election has come and gone, and as manifestos are shelved (opinion is divided on the merits of manifestos) and negotiations begin, there is a familiar risk that disabled people once again become an afterthought rather than a priority. Yet this moment matters. How Scotland chooses to govern now will shape whether people with disabilities experience public life as something done with them—or something that continues to happen around them.

Across sport, health, education, social security, and civic engagement, disabled people have been promised inclusion for decades. What they have instead often encountered is fragmented provision, and policies that sound progressive but fail in practice.

Scotland is rightly proud of its sporting culture, but disabled people still face structural barriers to participation. Emphasis can often be placed on elite Parasport or “inspirational” stories, while grassroots provision struggles for sustainable funding. Accessible facilities remain few and far between, local engagement opportunities are fragile and sporadic, and transport continues to be a barrier in rural and deprived communities.

A post‑election reset should recognise sport as a public health and human rights issue, not a discretionary extra. Investment must prioritise inclusive local clubs and infrastructure, accessible leisure centres (both physically and from an affordability perspective), and paid roles for disabled coaches and leaders. Disabled people should not be guests in Scotland’s sporting system; they should help run it.    

 

Health: Closing the Gap, Not Managing It

Disabled people in Scotland experience poorer health outcomes, shorter life expectancy, and more difficulty accessing care than non‑disabled people. Long waiting times for assessment and treatment, particularly in mental health and neurodevelopmental services, are not abstract policy failures—they shape people’s entire lives.

The next parliamentary term must move beyond managing demand and focus on redesigning services around disabled people’s realities. That means co‑produced services, continuity of care, and genuine parity between physical and mental health. It also means recognising the social determinants of health: poverty, housing insecurity, and digital exclusion cannot be separated from health policy.

 

Education: Inclusion That Works in Practice

Scotland’s commitment to inclusive education is well established in principle, but far less secure in delivery. Many disabled children and young people still struggle to get the support they are legally entitled to. Families are often forced into adversarial processes simply to secure basic adjustments, while staff face rising workloads and shrinking resources.

Post‑election, there is a pressing need to rebuild trust. This requires properly funded additional support for learning, consistent national standards, and a renewed focus on transitions—from school to further education, training, or work. Disabled learners should leave the education system with qualifications, confidence, and genuine choices, not exhaustion from constant battles.

 

Benefits and Social Security: Dignity Must Mean Security

Scotland’s devolved social security system was founded on the language of dignity, fairness, and respect. For many disabled people, however, insecurity remains the defining feature. Assessments can still be stressful and opaque, and financial support often fails to keep pace with the real costs of disability, particularly during a cost‑of‑living crisis.

The next government has an opportunity—and an obligation—to strengthen trust in the system. That means reducing reassessments where needs are unlikely to change, ensuring advice and advocacy are available, and aligning benefit levels with the actual cost of accessible living. Dignity is not a slogan; it is felt in whether people can heat their homes, travel to appointments, or participate in community life.

 

Engagement and Democracy: Nothing About Us Without Us

Perhaps the most important post‑election test is whether disabled people are meaningfully involved in shaping decisions. Consultation is too often late, limited, or inaccessible. Engagement cannot be reduced to surveys and stakeholder events; it must involve ongoing power‑sharing.

This includes accessible voting and political processes, properly resourced disabled people’s organisations, and paid opportunities for participation. Lived experience is expertise, and Scotland cannot afford to keep sidelining it. Policies developed without disabled voices consistently fail to deliver.

 

A Choice After the Election

The election has produced a Parliament with renewed authority to act. The question is whether it will choose to embed disability equality across all portfolios or continue treating it as a specialist concern. Disabled people do not live single‑issue lives. Sport affects health; education affects employment; benefits affect participation. These connections demand joined‑up thinking and political courage. Taking an intersectional approach is critical to make progress for the most underrepresented in our sport and physical activity settings.

Scotland now faces a choice. It can tinker at the edges, celebrating small improvements while inequality persists. Or it can commit, decisively, to a Scotland where disabled people are visible, valued, and empowered—not as beneficiaries of goodwill, but as equal citizens. The ballots may be counted, but for disabled people, the real test of this election is only just beginning.

 

Scottish Disability Sport has launched a four-point Call to Action that calls on organisations across Scotland to take urgent action to remove the significant barriers faced by people with a disability in accessing sport and physical activity. 

The four-point Call to Action follows the publication of a new national survey by SDS, which highlights the ongoing inequalities experienced by people with a disability and the impact this has on their quality of life.  

Key actions called for include:

  • Plan to Include
  • Deliver an inclusive whole system approach 
  • A benefits and social care system that equips individuals to be active 
  • Champion intersectionality through a person-centred approach 

More information about the Call to Action, can be found via this link: https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BC-and-AGM-CTA-Presentation_PDF-for-Website.pdf 

View the key findings of the National Survey can be found via this link: https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SDS-National-Survey-Findings-CEO-Circulation.pdf.

An instructor looks after customer in the gym - credit Activity Alliance

Summer of Sport Must Not Mask Reality of Trying to be Active for Disabled People

Research from Activity Alliance has revealed disabled people are still being left behind when trying to access sports and physical activities. With a summer of sport on the horizon, including the Paralympic Games and the increased awareness it brings, the national charity is leading calls to make meaningful changes so many more disabled people can enjoy an active lifestyle.

The report from the latest Annual Disability and Activity Survey shows disabled people are twice as likely to be inactive than non-disabled people, a disparity that has remained consistent since the first report was released five years ago.

With the world set to celebrate the sporting achievements of Paralympians in Paris this summer, the latest report highlights a significant ‘activity gap’ remains between disabled people and their non-disabled peers. Only four in 10 disabled people feel they have the opportunity to be active as they want to be, compared to seven in 10 non-disabled people.

The importance of harnessing the legacy of the Paralympic Games is clear, with three quarters (76%) of disabled people expressing a desire to be more active. Respondents in the survey praised the Games as an example of much-needed positive representation of disabled people. However, the extraordinary achievements of the country’s top athletes felt far removed from disabled people’s own lives and experiences.

With over 2,000 disabled and non-disabled adults aged 16+ taking part, the report offers in-depth insight into the day-to-day barriers disabled people face when trying to be active. Finding such as the fact that disabled people want to take part in physical activity in outdoor spaces like parks, countryside, or woodland. However, the reality is that less than half of disabled people say it is easy for them to physically access outdoor spaces.

Sharing their experiences with Activity Alliance, disabled people have made clear the significant barriers that make equal access to sport and physical activity feel far removed from their everyday lives. Reports within the survey include experiences of those who “dare not even put the heating on” let alone invest in their physical and mental health, and multiple reports that disability access remains “one of the forgotten things”.

Key findings include:

  • 43% of disabled people feel they have the chance to be as active as they desire, compared to 69% of non-disabled people. Disabled women are more likely feel the disparity in perceived opportunity compared to disabled men (39% vs 48%)
  • Disabled people are less than half as likely to ‘see people like them’ playing, working, and volunteering in sport and physical activity.
  • Disabled people mostly prefer being active in outdoor spaces like parks, countryside, or woodland compared to other locations, but less than half (44%) of disabled people say it’s easy for them to physically access outdoor spaces. This is a significant disparity compared to non-disabled people (78%).
  • Only 9% of disabled people agree they have the opportunity to become a coach or take on a role in delivering sport or physical activity (compared to 24% of non-disabled people).

Adam Blaze, Chief Executive at Activity Alliance, commented on the latest report:

“We know that the nation will get swept up by Olympic and Paralympic fever this summer, so what better opportunity to use this moment and finally address the stark differences in opportunities disabled people face in sport and physical activity.

“As we cheer on medal winners, I urge people to recognise that three-quarters of disabled people in our country want to be more active. Not everyone wants to be or can be a gold medal winner. Everyone has the right to be active where and however they choose to be, but this is not reality when you look at the latest findings in our survey. There are some fantastic examples across the country that challenge this trend, whether within the local community or national programmes, and these need to be available to everyone who wants to be active.

“There are more than 16 million disabled people in the UK, and the reality is that three in four want to be more active. This is not only an untapped market but shows there are vital improvements needed to break down deep-rooted barriers. A summer celebrating sporting achievements is the perfect time to do this.”

David Clarke OBE, Chief Executive of ParalympicsGB said:

“This Summer, as we celebrate the performance of athletes who have reached the pinnacle of their careers in elite sport, we must also ensure that everybody has the opportunity to take part in sport and physical activity. We know being active has so many benefits from health, mental wellbeing, strengthening friendships to community involvement.

“Disabled people continue to feel that they have less chance to be active compared to their nondisabled counterparts. Whilst we wave the flag for the ParalympicsGB team at the Paralympic Games we must also wave the flag for every disabled person in the UK, removing barriers to participation in sport and physical activity and creating thriving inclusive activity provision across the country.”

The full report is available to view at www.activityalliance.org.uk/how-we-help/research/annual-survey