Scottish Council

Ivan Cohen is the first person with a learning disability to be elected to this role. He counts this among his proudest achievements. 

Ivan joined Enable Scotland as a member of the Edinburgh branch in 2002. In 2012 he joined his local Edinburgh ACE group as a member. Through ACE, Ivan has had the chance to represent the Edinburgh group at national ACE meetings.  

Ivan has represented Enable Scotland on the national and European stage. He joined the European Platform of Self Advocates (EPSA) as an adviser, and has presented to people from across Europe as part of Inclusion Europe’s learning exchange. 

Ivan also convened our first ever digital Scottish Council meeting. Digital meeting were essential during COVID-19 lockdown. They continue to be a great success under Ivan’s leadership. 

Kirsty has been part of ACE since 2015, and was elected chair of National ACE in 2018. 

What she likes most about ACE is that people help one another — it’s like one big family where no-one judges you. 

As chair of National ACE Kirsty aims to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. She’s conscious that not everyone will be good at speaking to a group, and she encourages everyone to talk to her if they have a problem making themselves heard. 

In her free time, she volunteers with food train, helps elderly people with shopping, and keeps her mind active with puzzles and crosswords. 

Her dream is to work for a better future for the upcoming generation of young people who have a learning disability, so that they don’t have to experience some of the challenges that Kirsty had to face. 

Lucy got involved with Enable as an ACE Youth member and was elected chair of ACE youth in 2016. 

She believes that the sense of family and the availability of support are the two key benefits of Ace and Ace Youth. As the chair of ACE Youth, she likes seeing young people thrive and achieve lots of amazing things. She’s seen first-hand the difference that ACE Youth can make in the lives of young people who have a learning disability. 

One of her proudest ACE Youth moments was becoming a change champion, as part of an anti-bullying campaign called #bethechange. She has also talked at the Scottish Parliament about her experiences with school and education. 

In her own time Lucy enjoys volunteering, and learning new things. She has completed a number of courses, including a mental health and wellbeing course. She has also taken part in Enable Scotland’s Breaking Barriers program at The University of Strathclyde. 

Russell has been a member of Enable Scotland since 2014 and is a member of his local ENABLE Scotland ACE Group. As chair for the branches committee, he endeavours to give a voice to the branches within the Scottish Council and within Enable Scotland. 

Along with his active life within Enable, he has completed over 30 years of voluntary work in different organisations. Some examples of this work include scrutiny work with his landlord, first aid at public events, and conservation and expedition work with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Russell also co-facilitated a self-help group for people with depression. One of his big passions is animal welfare, including the welfare of his two cats, Peeps and Jet. 

Russell enjoys his work within Enable, hearing and sharing experiences of how people with learning disabilities contribute positively to their community and how they overcome barriers and challenges. His previous experiences have given him good grounding to support others and advocate for them during their experiences of living with disabilities. 

As a husband and father, Nick enjoys seeing his family feel safe and reaching their potential. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy to achieve – especially where the world is the ‘wrong shape’ for those with hidden and learning disabilities. 

Nick has seen this bias first hand as he supports his son with autism on his education journey. There have been many challenges. But Nick believes that with partnership and cooperation his son is getting some of the adaptions he needs to help him achieve his potential. 

As chair of the families committee, he feels able to help Enable make a difference and support changes that allow people with learning and hidden disabilities make choices that will help them. The families and parents network also allows parents and carers to meet, get support and be understood – and talk to someone who understands without explanation. 

Nick sees his goal as not just helping people to cope or survive, but have the right to decide, thrive and excel. His aim as committee chair is to guide and support Enable in achieving these changes, in words and in action. 

Beth’s son Calum has complex additional support needs including Epilepsy. In 2010. Calum was seriously injured due to a face down restraint in school. After realising there was no government guidance on the use of physical intervention in Scotland’s schools, Beth became a passionate campaigner. She had argued against the use of restraint and seclusion of children and young people with disabilities in education and children’s services. 

Her campaign is now worldwide and involves the UNCRC in Geneva. It has already resulted in changes to Scottish Government guidance. 

In 2016 Beth completed the BILD PBS coaches programme and was awarded BILD’s ‘Outstanding Achievement Awarda for protecting Scotland’s most vulnerable children in schools. 

In 2017, she founded Positive & Active Behaviour Support Scotland (PABSS) a small charity supporting families who love and care for children with complex needs. 

In 2018 Beth was honoured to be named an ‘Outstanding Women of Scotland’ by the Saltire Society. 

In 2019 she was a Times Education Supplement ‘Person of the Year’ and in 2020 was awarded an Amnesty International Award. 

In February 2020 PABSS produced a joint report with the Rrisc Group ‘Reducing Restrictive Intervention of Children and Young People” 

Read the report at the PABSS website [https://www.pabss.org/rrisc]