A tribute to Leaders group member - Elspeth

Elspeth was a Speak Out Leader at VoiceAbility for 9 years. She used her lived experience of Asperger’s to talk with autistic people and listen to their experiences and then share any issues with professionals who could help change things.

Talking with, and not to, people was incredibly important to Elspeth, she really wanted people to have the opportunity to be heard. She was motivated by her lived experience to make sure that other people didn’t suffer in the way that she had.

“Elspeth was particularly skilled at sharing her own experiences with a story or a phrase that would stay in your mind.”

She was especially passionate about changing things like knowing how long waiting times might be and disability benefits assessments.

Elspeth was especially good at asking just the right question in meetings that would get to the heart of an issue. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Adult Social Care Forum told us, ‘Health and social care matters can often be complicated and sometimes bureaucratic and having somebody in the room who asks, ‘Why does it have to be that way?’ about a process, is so helpful and makes everybody think again about what we are doing.

We wish Elspeth had realised how her work was so very much appreciated. We have received many, many messages from those who worked with her beyond VoiceAbility.

“The word ‘powerful’ comes up over and over again.”

We know she didn’t always realise what power she had but that power changed people’s views. We have heard how staff attending training that Elspeth delivered, always commented on how it made them think and see things from a different viewpoint. How she always ensured that the voice of autistic people was heard, loud and clear, holding professionals to account and helping them to do better.

Elspeth was a force to be reckoned with when she challenged politicians and on one occasion, attended a Select Committee on Disability  – standing up for the rights and views of autistic people there.

“Elspeth’s ability to say it how it was, changed opinions, and because of that she changed lives.”

Her work was serious, her messages were serious and meetings were often emotionally challenging for her. But Elspeth had a wonderful ability to make everyone laugh, with an off the cuff comment, or a story and her wonderful chuckle.

Elspeth had a great sense of humour and fun and never wanted a meeting to be boring if it didn’t need to be, even going as far as encouraging a room full of parents and carers to do a Mexican wave! She really broke the ice there!

Our Speak Out team remember Elspeth as our kind, funny, warm colleague, who made us laugh and very importantly made sure all the Easy Read documents or presentations we made were perfectly proof-read. She was proud to call herself our official proof-reader and always checked our work.