Simon Jay

Access & Inclusion Officer

As a member of the disabled and rainbow greens, I feel I have some experience in listening to the concerns and needs of representative groups. I am aware that our branch, and our party, needs to work constantly to make sure we are as accessible and as inclusive as possible. This is no easy task, but one that requires reflection and the ability to adapt.

I believe I could bring a fresh approach to the role, listening to our branch and taking decisive action. I feel the ideas we could implement could be used party-wide. A big part of this comes down to respect and understanding.

Since 2022 I have been the editor of Neurodiverse Review; a disabled-led review site that champions the work of disabled and neurodivergent artists. As the creator of such a project, it has been a huge undertaking to make sure the site, and the community outreach work we do, is accessible and inclusive. This required learning about the varied needs of people, some of which came as a complete surprise. In organising events, our team made sure we were gender-balanced, but also prioritised LGBT+ and BIPOC groups. The last 3 years has been a huge learning curve for me, and that experience I feel could be really valuable within our Edinburgh Branch.