Heather's Blog: My Experience at the Zero Project Conference

The conference is called the Zero Project Conference, and it is a global space for sharing ideas and solutions that help make the world more inclusive for disabled people.

I was invited to speak about something very important to me — healthcare inequalities. During a question‑and‑answer session, I talked about my own experiences and the work we do at Enable to push for fair healthcare for everyone. I shared powerful research from the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory at the University of Glasgow. This research shows that people in Scotland with a learning disability often die 20 years earlier than the population average and are three times more likely to die of cancer. These facts highlight why Enable campaigned for annual health checks, a policy the Scottish Government agreed to implement in 2022.

I also spoke about my own healthcare journey and the work we have done to improve understanding around cervical cancer screening. Sharing these stories felt important, and the audience was warm and welcoming.

What meant the most to me was feeling heard. People listened carefully, and that made me feel valued. I was proud to talk about the work Enable is doing to make women’s health and cancer screening easier to access.

The highlight of the trip was meeting the other Next Gen Voices. Hearing about their work in their own countries was truly inspiring. I returned home feeling more confident, motivated, and proud to have been part of this global event.