Glasgow Disability Alliance
GDA is a disabled people-led organisation (DPO) controlled by our 5500+ disabled members.
We are the largest groundswell of disabled members in Europe and a leading, celebrated example of a grassroots community of identity driving improvements to disabled people’s lives in parallel with wider changes to policies, services and society.
GDA Membership
Our free, accessible learning and events:
- Bring people together
- Build confidence and connections
- Unlock opportunities to participate, contribute, and use your voice
- Transport, personal assistance, and communication support provided
Membership is free!
Join GDA for updates on all our events and opportunities.
Our vision is a world where disabled people participate fully and lead our own lives with our human rights upheld, connecting with peers and opportunities; contributing to families, communities and wider society on a full and equal basis alongside non-disabled people.
Our mission is to promote equality, rights and social justice with and for disabled people and we do this through programmes which build confidence, connections and capacity of disabled people.
Our programmes support disabled people and those with long term conditions across Glasgow – you do not need to be a member to take part.
Over the last 4 years, GDA has transformed our delivery model to respond to the urgent and pressing needs of disabled people. Programmes are now all available online, by phone and in person.
Inclusive Media Literacy with GDA and Ofcom
Ofcom defines media literacy as the ‘ability to use, understand and create media and communications across multiple formats and services’. Ofcom has a statutory duty…
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We Remember Paula Fummey
We are very sad to announce that our beloved member Paula Fummey died on Wednesday morning at the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice with her adored brother Bruce by her side.
Paula was a disability activist until the end, unwaveringly committed to the disabled people’s movement. In Paula’s words, ‘One voice may be beautiful, but a whole chorus of voices, like a choir, can sound amazing.’
She will be much missed by her GDA family. Her legacy will live on in the enormous community she leaves behind.
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CEO Tressa Burke on BBC Scotland
CEO Tressa Burke speaks to Stephen Jardine from BBC Scotland, 3 July 2024.
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Browse our resources
GDA Manifesto 2024
PublicationDisabled People in Glasgow and Scotland have felt deprioritised and dehumanised increasingly over decades and even more so since the last General Election. Successive policies and Governments have failed to tackle our poverty and inequality and the dire situation facing disabled people has been supercharged by national policies and global events e.g. austerity, the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
Read our 2024 Manifesto and Asks to learn more about what disabled people are demanding this election.
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GDA Evidence at Scottish Covid Inquiry – November 2023
FilmGDA Chief Executive, Tressa Burke, gives evidence to the Scottish Covid Inquiry in November 2023.
“Over the last 3 years and 9 months, GDA has transformed our delivery model to respond to the urgent and pressing needs of disabled people as a consequence of the pandemic and now cost of living crisis. Programmes are now available in person or online, by phone and through hybrid delivery models too e.g. events.
During the height of the pandemic, funding flowed and worries about how to meet needs were removed. However, this reverted to more “normal” and draconian practises which disadvantage DPOs because of a lack of understanding of the additional supports disabled people need and related investment required to enable this.
Disabled people need now more than ever to be prioritised in policies and actions to tackle the pre-existing inequalities which were supercharged as well as the new ones created. We must ask ourselves as a country, what is our motivation, what is our capacity and what are the opportunities for change? Much of this will depend on political leadership and resources and if we can make progress on the motivation factor, the rest will follow. This will depend on building understanding of disabled people’s lives and working with disabled people and our organisations to build services and supports which ensure that disabled people are never again left behind, fearing for our very lives- not only because of a deadly virus but because of how devalued and dehumanised we are by society. This might seems dramatic and I’m afraid that is because it is. “
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Rights Now! Trifold
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