Members' biographies
Anya Kettles (Convener)
Anya Kettles has worked as a Principal Teacher of Guidance in Dundee, supporting young people and families for over twenty years. She led strategic change within her school and works closely with many partner agencies. Anya was awarded the General Teaching Council for Scotland special recognition for self-evaluation in 2020. Prior to teaching, Anya's background was in design. She is passionate about how ergonomics and functionality can improve the lives of people with disabilities. Anya is registered blind and has lived experience of disability. She has a working Guide Dog called Alice and has a good understanding of the local and national challenges disabled people face.
Simon Watkins (Vice Convener)
Simon began working with Cumbernauld Corporation before moving to the then Strathclyde Regional Council as a planner.
He was seconded for ten years to an EU Programme, assisting Local Authorities in Central and Eastern Europe, the last two years as Director.
Prior to retirement he worked for twenty years for the Scottish Parliament as a Clerk in charge of a number of its Committees.
Catherine Barile
Catherine graduated from the University of Dundee with an honours Law degree and Diploma in Legal Practice.
After qualifying as a Solicitor, she worked in private practice for 10 years, specialising in mental health law, before becoming a Children’s Reporter for the Scottish Children’s Reporter’s Administration where she is an active member of the disability group.
Miss Barile grew up in a family with physical disabilities and she is passionate about protecting and promoting the rights of disabled people.
Elliot Cooper
Elliot is a writer and content creator who brings his lived experience as a full-time wheelchair user as well as interdisciplinary academic knowledge to the role. This complements a lifelong commitment to Human Rights and accessibility.
Susan Fulton
Susan worked in a Local Authority setting for many years and has experience in a number of different roles diversifying into the field of accessibility and inclusive design in 2004.
Susan brings her experience both as a Chartered Surveyor and Access Consultant to the Committee in her role as Workstream Lead for Roads, Infrastructure and Active Travel.
She is currently a member of Network Rail’s Built Environment Accessibility Panel and a member of the National Register of Access Consultants Advisory Group.
Lesley Macinnes
Lesley has spent most of her career in public service, including a long period in Geneva as the Deputy Support Director of an international NGO responsible for humanitarian demining (landmines and cluster munitions) and for administering the international Secretariat for the Ottawa Treaty.
More recently, she has served as an elected councillor in Edinburgh, leading political efforts on transport and the environment and has led on the City Mobility Plan, the City Centre Transformation strategy, the Low Emission Zone and the Trams to Newhaven project.
After the May 2022 elections, Ms Macinnes became her party’s spokesperson on finance.
Lynsey Shovlin
Lynsey is a Project Manager for Scottish Enterprise who helps to grow the Scottish economy for the benefit of all.
She graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BA degree in Festival and Events Management and has worked at several major events coordinating transport services, including London 2012 and the 2014 Ryder Cup in Glasgow.
She was one of Scotland's first Customer Service Apprentices for ScotRail and is a regular traveller on public transport, especially rail services.
Lynn Pilkington
Lynn is a consultant trainer and blogger combining expertise of equalities and engagement, to create content to support employers, facilitators, educators, and HR professionals to build impactful and inclusive workplaces and learning experiences.
Lynn is also a childcare support worker/play practitioner.
Lynn was previously the Social Movement Support Officer for See Me and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer for City of Glasgow College.
Zara Todd
Zara is a freelance trainer, facilitator and researcher who has been supporting organisations to be more inclusive and accessible to disabled people for nearly 20 years.
She previously advised the UK Government and Transport for London on disability and accessibility.
Zara is a wheelchair user, neurodivergent and an active transport user. Zara is also a trustee of Volunteering Matters, Disability Equality Scotland, and a board member of Disabled People's International.
Anne Macleod
Anne is a native Gaelic speaker from the Isle of Lewis, graduated from Sabhal Mòr with an Honours degree in Gaelic and Communication.
As the Manager of Comunn Eachdraidh Nis, an award-winning heritage centre in the north of Lewis she led on a recently launched project to provide an accessible transport solution for those unable to use public transport.
Anne has a passion for community development and a personal understanding of the challenges facing disabled people travelling to and from islands; she travels regularly with a family member with complex disabilities.
Andy Witty
Andrew Witty has a child with complex additional support needs and through this lived experience and those of the networks he connects into, he understands the challenges around living in an area with limited services and public transport links. He uses his lived experience and advocacy skills to highlight the challenges and bring suggestions and solutions to work towards a system that is joined up, easy to navigate and works for all. He currently works as the Director of Strategic Policy for a membership organisation as well as serving as the Unpaid Carer representative on his local Health and Social Care Partnership’s Integrated Joint Board. He is also a Member of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme Advisory Board.
Kate Samuels
Kate Samuels is a policy professional focusing on strategic leadership and human rights in the public and third sector. Her interests include bringing lived experience into policy decisions and in democratic education. Her studies have focussed on Scottish Politics, Career Guidance and Data Driven Leadership and she previously worked in policy at Generations Working Together, Cycling Scotland and Sustrans, focusing on intergenerational practice, climate and equalities. Kate was a vice-Chair of Healthy Air Scotland.
Diana Winfield
Diana Winfield lives in the Shetland Islands and has direct experience of transport issues in a rural, Scottish community. She has been involved with access advice and advocacy for over 10 years, supporting individuals with transport issues and confidential advocacy. She has also inputted into organisations and groups in both Shetland and on mainland Scotland, to enable access and changes to happen in transport and transport related infrastructure. Her disability affects her mobility and cognitive processing which affects communication, information processing and cognitive visual processing. Diana considers that this gives her a broad lived experience and understanding of disability transport issues and has helped when others are sharing their stories with her. Diana is an elected member of Lerwick Community Council.
Simon Whyte
Simon Whyte brings over 20 years of experience in education within the Additional Support Needs sector and is a committed advocate for disabled young people. Throughout his career he has championed inclusion, accessibility, equality, and meaningful participation, working to remove barriers and ensure disabled young people can fully engage in education, employment and community life.
Rachel Birch
Rachel Birch is a consultant and current interim Charity CEO from rural Moray, with almost two decades’ experience working for and with disabled people. For the past decade, her work has been in the Third Sector and Social Care, with a focus on autism and mental health, including work with charities and Disabled People’s Organisations across Scotland’s mainland and island communities. Rachel was diagnosed autistic as a child and received NHS diagnoses of ADHD and CPTSD as an adult. She currently holds a Blue Badge, which has enabled her to access essential services, appointments, public spaces and infrastructure since becoming physically disabled in 2024. She is committed to creating sustainable, inclusive change and brings extensive experience in good governance and advising on national policy and legislation, gained through Trustee, Director, advisory panel, and committee roles.