Why we've been shortlisted for the 2024 Disability Power 100

We're thrilled to learn this month that Euan's Guide and Euan have been shortlisted for The Shaw Trust's Disability Power 100. 

The Disability Power 100 is a platform for change, that recognises the most influential disabled people in the UK. It celebrates their ambition and achievements and encourages the leaders of tomorrow. 

The Disability Power 100 judges are looking for impact (how impactful this person or organisation has been in affecting change over the last 12-18 months), influence (how much positive influence this person or organisation has had on their category field/sector over the last 12-18 months), and innovation (how innovative is this person or organisation’s approach as a disability changemaker).  

Here at Euan’s Guide we believe that our small but mighty charity and our founder, Euan, have achieved amazing things over the last couple of years, so we thought this might be a good opportunity to remind you of our recent work.  

Sharing disabled access information 

Our website, EuansGuide.com, is a platform for people to share disabled access information and their own experiences. We have tens of thousands of visitors to the website every month who are all finding and sharing disabled access so that finding new places to go is as easy as possible. 

Over the ten years since Euan established Euan’s Guide, our charity has become a trusted source of disabled access information as well as being seen as the expert on disabled access by many. As well as individuals being able to rely on us for disabled access information, we’re often asked to comment on disabled access and accessible toilets by the media, including BBC, ITV and Channel 5.  

Encouraging venues to think about – and shout about – their disabled access facilities and information 

Not only for reviews, EuansGuide.com is a place for businesses to list their disabled access information to reach tens of thousands of disabled people looking for great places to go every month.  

By listing, venues reach tens of thousands of disabled people every month who are looking for accurate and up-to-date disabled access information. According to the latest Access Survey, 91% of disabled people try to find disabled access information before visiting a new place, 76% have found accessibility information on a venue’s website to be misleading, confusing or inaccurate, and 59% will avoid going to a venue if it has not shared its disabled access information because they assume it is inaccessible. 

By sharing their access information on EuansGuide.com, venues and businesses show that they care about their disabled visitors. Euan’s Guide will also tell people about their listed venues, and they’ll show up in searches made by Euan’s Guide users. In addition, Euan’s Guide has a host of free disabled access information resources for businesses, from how to improve disabled access to top tips and even a dedicated email newsletter with disabled access information, news and updates.  

Making accessible toilets safer with our Red Cord Cards 

The reason we were shortlisted for the Disability Power 100 this year - our Safer Toilets campaign!

The Safer Toilets campaign continues to make tens of thousands of accessible toilets safer. Over 125,000 Red Cord Cards have been distributed by thousands of people, making tens of thousands of accessible toilets safer for disabled people, and improving confidence when going out.  

The Safer Toilets campaign and Red Cord Cards have been featured across national media in the last two years, including Channel 5 news and BBC Radio, as well as frequently appearing - and going viral - on Instagram and TikTok with the support of influencers helping to raise awareness of the campaign and the need for safe accessible toilets.  

Giving people a voice through the Euan’s Guide Access Survey Supported by Motability Operations 

We run the UK's largest and longest-running Access Survey, which encourages disabled people to give their thoughts, opinions and experiences of disabled access and issues like the cost of living crisis and the covid pandemic. The latest Access Survey had over 6,000 respondents, 98% of whom identified as a disabled person, and the results appeared across major media outlets. In the last 18 months, the Access Survey and experiences of our community have been seen in The Guardian, The Times, and The Independent, as well as on Good Morning Britain and BBC news and radio, helping to raise awareness of and highlight the issues faced by disabled people every day. 

Euan’s research into MND 

In addition to being a philanthropist, Euan has also been instrumental in MND research. He is the co-founder of the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research based at the University of Edinburgh, a not-for-profit, internationally recognised network of 200 scientists and professionals researching Motor Neuron Disease (MND). The Euan MacDonald Centre runs the MND-SMART trial which now has over 400 participants, and was recently awarded £2.5 million by MND Scotland and the MND Association.  

We’re delighted that Euan has been recognised in this year’s Disability Power 100 shortlist. Please continue to support us by submitting your disabled access reviews, listing your venue, ordering Red Cord Cards, and sharing the Access Survey at every opportunity! 

Tags: disabled access, the shaw trust, Disability Power 100, 2024, euans guide, euan macdonald