Hi, my name is Patrick McGuigan. I am 62 years old, and was born with Cerebral Palsy. I have sight problems and walk with crutches, having once used a wheelchair. I have been involved with many organisations over the years, including the Strathclyde Forum on Disability, Castlemilk Forum on Disability, RNIB, NFB, SDEF, SATA and SRAF.

The board of directors currently consists of:

• Helen Douglas (Chairperson)
• Pat McGuigan (Vice Chairperson)
• Grant Carson (Treasurer)
• James Montgomery (Director)
• Paul Kerr (Director)
• Deborah Mann (Director)

The staff are:

• Bobby Park (Senior Project Officer)
• David Nugent (Development Worker)

If you have encountered any access issues, or have any enquiries you think we might be able to help with, you can reach us by email at info@glasgowaccesspanel.org.uk, or by filling out the contact form below. Alternatively you can give us a call on 0141 946 8488.

Finding Our Office

Glasgow Access Panel is based at:

Unit 17,
Chapel Street Estate,
Maryhill,
G20 9BQ

We are located just off Maryhill Road; Unit 17 is accessed directly from Ruchill Street which runs between Frampton’s and McDonald’s, opposite the Shopping Centre. We have a small car park, and our entrance is via a metal ramp.

Contact Form

Filling out this form will send us an email. All of the fields are required.

“Hi, my name is Patrick McGuigan. I am 62 years old, and was born with Cerebral Palsy. I have sight problems and walk with crutches, having once used a wheelchair. I have been involved with many organisations over the years, including the Strathclyde Forum on Disability, Castlemilk Forum on Disability, RNIB, NFB, SDEF, SATA and SRAF.”

Glasgow Access Panel is a membership organisation. Joining is free and open to all disabled people, and to organisations representing disabled people.

The Social Model of Disability

Central to the work of the Glasgow Access Panel (GAP) is the Social Model of Disability, which illustrates the ways in which it is not individual impairments which disable people, but rather society’s failure to include and provide accessible facilities for all.GAP recognise the barriers to independent living faced by many people today, and consider the elimination of these barriers an important collective responsibility. Where in the past the medical model of disability focused on the ‘treatment’ of individuals and impairments, the social model highlights the ways in which society gives insufficient consideration to people with impairments – failing to accommodate a significant portion of the population as a consequence. It is therefore society which must change, and it is for this reason that GAP exists: offering our experience and expertise as disabled people in the early stages of planned projects, consulting on changes in traffic management and providing information and assistance to members of the public facing access issues.

Our organisation

Glasgow Access Panel is a registered Scottish charity (Charity No. SCO36531) and company (No. SC283700) controlled by a governing document, our Memorandum and Articles of Association. Our management board meets regularly and have responsibility for all strategic decisions of the charity. Find out more about our current board.

As we are a small team of volunteers and staff, it is not advisable to turn up at the office without contacting us first. So if you’re thinking of stopping by, you can give us a call at 0141 946 8488 or send us an email. We are delighted to help with any information regarding disability rights, and to give advice on addressing specific access issues affecting individuals or organisations.

Funding

Glasgow Access Panel are delighted to receive funding from Glasgow City Council and Scottish Disability Equality Forum.

Unit 17,
Chapel Street Estate,
Maryhill,
G20 9BQ
0141 946 8488

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The Glasgow Access Panel (GAP) is a registered charity (charity number SCO36531). Our aim is to improve the accessibility of services, buildings, facilities and information across Glasgow for all disabled people.

What is an Access Issue?

Access issues take a large number of forms. Consider the following examples:

• At your building society branch office there is a sign saying that an induction loop is available but no-one knows how to work it.
• A public body advertises that information is available in alternative formats but when you phone them up for an audio version or large print copy they cannot provide you with one.
• You know that there are more accessible buses on your route, but the journey from your house to the bus-stop is nearly impossible due to high pavements and street furniture.
• Although your local cinema is ramped throughout, with low counters and more than one accessible toilet, you cannot open the heavy doors to get into the cinema itself.

In short, if you are not able to make a journey to a service and then use that service without serious disruption to yourself then you are encountering access issues. If you are encountering these, or similar problems in your everyday life, please get in touch!

GAP Services

Easterhouse & South Side Drop-In Events

On the first Monday of every month GAP run an information stall at the new Victoria Infirmary, between 10am and 12pm, and another at Castlemilk Community Centre on the first Wednesday of the month. On the third Wednesday of every month the same service is available at Easterhouse Library. These stalls are an opportunity to meet with members of the community and learn about access issues, and also allow us to recruit new GAP members and to give out information. If you have any questions or issues to report, just come along and we will be happy to help.

Access Audits and Reports

The Glasgow Access Panel also provide access audits and written reports to organisations looking to improve the accessibility of their premises. For more information on this, see ‘What We Do’, or contact us with any questions, or if you would like to arrange an audit.

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