Watch: Exhibition to tell stories of disability history of Scots

Now Mr Meechan, who has multiple disabilities which affect his limb control and hearing, has graduated from Strathclyde University Business School with a certificate in applied business skills, with the help of the Breaking Barriers programme.

The 26-year-old from Kilsyth said: “The label for my disability is quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy with dystonic spasms. This affects my ability to control my limbs and my head purposefully. I also have a profound bi-lateral hearing loss.

“Breaking Barriers is one of the most significant achievements of my life. I am so grateful that I got the chance to show everyone what I am capable of, and it’s so much more than people expect of me. I loved experiencing university life, the same as my sister and brother.”

His story will be told alongside others in an exhibition at Glasgow’s Central Station this weekend to mark 70 years of the charity Enable, which is behind the Breaking Barriers programme - and the start of Disability History Month.

Mr Meechan, who has secured a job with Enable in North Lanarkshire, will also be working with Microsoft to adapt his voice generator and the computer interface it works with after the tech giant approached the Breaking Barriers programme .

“Working with Microsoft will be such a unique opportunity,” he said. “I am sure it will be a fascinating experience that will help me in my new role at Enable. It might even help other people like me, to show they can do it too.”

Enable, which supports people to live independently in the community of their choice, is using the exhibition to highlight the journey of learning disabilities, changing societal attitudes as well as the personal stories of people with learning disabilities and their families throughout the years.

Supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund the exhibition, Our Past, My Future, will be brought to public spaces across Scotland and marks 70 years of action and the start of Disability History month.

Now in its 70th year, Enable supports people with learning disabilities and their families, employs 2,500 staff and has 12,000 campaigners and members. It has become one of the largest non-public sector employers in Scotland; actively supporting more than 13,000 people to live independently as citizens in their communities.

As part of that it runs the Breaking Barriers programme which enables young people who have barriers to education and employment to attend a world-class business school. It helps them achieve an accredited qualification and gain real work with some of Scotland’s highest profile corporate employers.

Founded by Enable, the University of Strathclyde Business School, and ScottishPower, the flagship programme has now expanded to the University of Strathclyde's Faculty of Science, partnering with Balfour Beatty for its work placements, and Edinburgh Napier University, where students work with corporate partner, EY. The programme has also welcomed corporate partner, Dayforce. 

Enable chief executive Theresa Shearer said: “I am so proud to see Connor graduating from the Breaking Barriers programme at Strathclyde Business School, and to secure this opportunity to be mentored by Microsoft. Breaking Barriers is a pioneering demonstration of the power of public, private and social sector organisations working in partnership to address societal challenges.

“Ensuring we open opportunities to everyone and do not exclude people from realising their talent is essential not only to being a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive society, but also to our national economic prosperity.”