At Visibility Scotland, we believe in the social model of disability; it is societal barriers (including the built environment) that create disability.

We are fortunate to own our B-listed headquarters, comprising two adjoining four-storey and two-storey Victorian-era townhouses in Glasgow’s West End. However, buildings steeped in heritage often pose accessibility challenges for people with disabilities.

At Visibility Scotland, we want to practice what we preach by using our building as an example of good practice, demonstrating how heritage and accessibility can coexist.

The vision: to build an accessible and inclusive Scotland.

To date, we have:

• upgraded our basement and reception area to make them accessible for people with low or no vision
• built an independent living flat for training in daily living skills and as a confidential counselling space
• created an accessible boardroom

We have also installed secure bike storage as part of our crusade to support and encourage wellbeing and take inaccessible activities and make them accessible.

ForSight Centre of Excellence

This is the backbone of our services, enabling specialist, person-centred therapy to be delivered to people with vision impairment and blindness.

Within the ForSight Centre of Excellence, we provide

A digital suite and shop providing advice and ‘hands-on’ equipment demonstrations to vision-impaired and blind people with an emphasis on employability skills training.

The digital suite offers a wide range of cutting-edge assistive technologies. We aim to support people in maximising independence and reaching their educational and employment aspirations.

A community café: our café runs on Tuesdays and Fridays. It is free for people with vision impairments and blindness. The café offers nutritious, homemade vegetarian soup, sourdough bread (baked onsite), and, for dessert, a homemade cake. The café aims to breakdown loneliness and isolation.

A specialist accessible conference/board room: a large board and community room on our first floor, which is available for hire. The room provides hybrid meeting technology.

An accessible community space with accessible and gender-neutral toilets. This space is used for many activities. Most recently we launched sensory play sessions. This is a safe space to support vision impaired and blind children to develop sensory and motor skills with peers.

Next steps

The ForSight – Access for All project is a key part of our overarching aim to transform our B-Listed headquarters into an accessible community asset, balancing historic architecture with modern accessibility needs to serve vulnerable communities.

It will improve access by making essential modifications to the interior and exterior, meaning the building can be used comfortably and independently by people walking, wheeling, or using mobility aids.

The proposed changes include:

An accessible entrance ramp connected directly to the footway
Installation of a permanent metal ramp, extending directly from the footway to the front door.

Redesigned reception, foyer, and internal access with ramp and stairs
The reception and foyer will be reconfigured into an open-plan space.

The internal dividing wall between the townhouses will be removed. A structural support beam will allow installation of a new accessible internal ramp and a small staircase, ensuring inclusive access and personal choice.

Durable, sustainable, and low-maintenance accessibility improvements
The modifications have been carefully designed to require minimal ongoing maintenance, ensuring long-term sustainability and cost efficiency. All finishes, fixtures, and hardware meet accessibility standards while prioritising durability and environmental responsibility.

If you would like to support our ForSight mission, donate here:

Make a donation to Visibility Scotland

Before and after pictures

Before

ID: A dark room with an office cupboard and assistive technology on the windowsill.

After

ID: Our modern Independent Living Flat with a fully equipped kitchen area, seating, bed and seating area.

Before

ID: A basement room with 10 chairs around two tables. There is a TV on the back wall.

After

ID: A bright, colourful, interactive sensory play area.