SAIF: Members and membership

The Scottish Accessible Information Forum (SAIF) is always interested in hearing from potential new members. SAIF is an advisory group promoting accessible information provision for disabled people and their carers throughout Scotland.

Direct experience

As a group dealing with issues affecting disabled people and their carers, it is a priority that the majority of members have direct experience of disability. We therefore strongly encourage the participation of disabled people. To support this, we provide all our material in members preferred format, organise any aids/adaptations for meetings and will pay members and their personal assistants expenses for travel and accommodation when required.

As well as being on the full SAIF advisory body, members are encouraged to be part of one or more working groups which work with the SAIF project staff to develop the SAIF objectives.

Members of the Scottish Accessible Information Forum

Ben Forsyth (Chairperson)

Welfare rights officer at Midlothian Council. You can contact Ben as SAIF's chairperson at chairperson@saifscotland.org.uk

Jean Dunlop (Vice-Chairperson)

Chairperson at Facilitating Access Breaking Barriers (FABB) Scotland.

David Armstrong

David has 10 years experience in the publishing industry and is now a Planning and Distribution Executive with the Student Loans Company.

Claire Brennan

Head of HR (Pay, Policy, Operations & Resourcing) NHS Education for Scotland

Mary Evans

Dyslexia Scotland Board Member

Bobby Park

Retired enginer and project manager, married to Helen with 3 children and 4 granchildren.  Bobby provides access consultancy and disability equality training and coaches disabed kids various sports.  Bobby is also involved with a lot of charities, such as the Glasgow Access Panel where he is treasurer, the Glasgow Disability Alliance and the National Advisory Panel for campaigning for Leonard Cheshire.

Andy Groves

Information officer at Grapevine, an information and advice service that is part of the Lothian Centre for Integrated Living.

Margaret Hurcombe

Project Manager at Family Advice and Information Resource in Edinburgh (FAIR)

Lucie McAnespie

Acting Adult Speech and Language Therapy Manager at Edenhall Hospital, East Lothian.

Linda Miller

Grampian Accessible Information Task Force Chairperson

Nicola Noon

Information Officer at Scottish Council on Deafness

Robert Sneddon

Volunteer advice worker for Wigtownshire Coalition of Disabled People

Sandra Wilson

A member of SAIF since 2005, Sandra is the Development Co-ordinator for Fife Employability Network. Sandra has an extensive background in careers guidance and information work including expertise on making information accessible for disabled people. She chairs the SAIF Ecommunication Working Group and is a member of the Standards Working Group.

Carolyn Wyper

Employed as a senior manager within NHS Ayrshire & Arran with a responsibility for disability issues.

Fiona Gray 

 Fiona works for Disability Information and Advice Greater Glasgow, DIGG.

Alex Stuart

Alex works for the Enquire helpline at Children in Scotland.  His responsibilities as Information and Development Officer include desktop publishing and website development, and he works to produce effective and accessible information in multiple formats.

Margaret Simpson

I am a disabled lady who has been heavily involved in the Third Sector for a long time.  My main areas of interest are helping organisations develop and be sustainable.  I am chair/director of Scottish Borders Social Enterprise Chamber, Convenor of the Community Care Forum and heavily involved with the local agencies around disability and equality and am a member of the access panel.