Promote a culture of diversity and equality

Ensure that services meet or exceed the Trust’s obligations under the Equalities Act 2010.

expanding our fleet for inclusive cycling

ANGUSalive was delighted to expand its adaptive bikes fleet in July 2019 with the addition of the Van Raam Fun2Go double rider cycle. The brand-new bike was another step forward in the leisure offering to people with disability across Angus. The ANGUSalive Adaptive Cycling Hub at West Links, Arbroath is an inclusive area for cycling for anyone who needs that little bit of extra support. Our current participants include people with physical and learning disabilities and visual impairments. Major benefits of outdoor physical activities are increased confidence, better health and improved social skills. The sessions, which run twice weekly from March to October are social and fun, with plenty of energy, enthusiasm and laughter. The Fun2Go bike was purchased through partnership funding from Angus Disability Sport, Angus Society for the Blind, Special Olympics Tayside and ANGUSalive.

Books with a Voice

In October 2019 we invested in a number of Vox Books at Forfar Library - print book meets audio book. Vox Books are the world’s first audio book that is fully integrated into a print book. The permanently attached Vox Reader transforms an ordinary print book into an all-in-one read-along. We have a large range of both picture and non-fiction titles with audio recordings to encourage children to read-along and make learning fun.

This was a major accomplishment for ANGUSalive as we were the first library in Scotland to introduce the Vox Books providing an excellent service development for our customers. Although the collection is based at Forfar Library, customers at other locations can request these. There are plans to move the collection around the service points in rotation ensuring even more people can access the technology-enhanced books.

“Exercise and outdoor activity are so much more difficult if you have a disability. It was great to see some of the participants enjoying the ride along West

Links, and also being a part of the busy activity around the seafront, in the warm sunshine. ANGUSalive are doing a great job of delivering this service for the residents of Angus,” Jean Stevenson, representing Angus Society for the Blind

Disability inclusion and Autism Awareness Training

In partnership with Scottish Disability Sport, ANGUSalive not only offered our annual disability inclusion training for some of its frontline employees and community coaches but we also introduced Autism Awareness Training. The workshops held in November 2019 and February 2020 were both fully subscribed. The Disability Inclusion Training focused on ability rather than disability, delivering good practice, effective communications and signposted sources of further information. The focus of the Autism Workshop was on being able to identify and then introduce good practice for participants on the autism spectrum, be more confident about including participants on the autism spectrum and more knowledgeable regarding how impairment impacts on the ability of the individual to master specific skills. 36 ANGUSalive employees now have an improved understanding about how to support the inclusion of disabled people in the delivery of our services.

Adult reader

Development Strategy

Group

ANGUSalive’s Adult & Communities Libraries Lead is part of a team of 12 librarians, representing all 32 library authorities, working to promote reader development ideas and skills. They are also applying for funding on behalf of all authorities across Scotland to help widen reading choices and opportunities for all readers.

This longstanding group meets quarterly in venues across Scotland to work with authorities, the Scottish Library & Information Council and Scottish Book Trust. Working together they promote the importance of reading and provide the best national resources for libraries to provide a good reading experience for customers regardless of their authority‘s size and book budget. ANGUSalive’s involvement in this group enhances the Adult & Communities Libraries Lead’s professional development as well as having involvement and exposure with a professional body.