We are deeply saddened to share the news that our former Board Director, Etienne D’Aboville, passed away peacefully at home on 28th October 2025.
Etienne was a towering figure in the Independent Living Movement in Scotland. He spent over 25 years as Chief Executive of the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL), where he championed the rights of disabled people with passion, dignity, and humour. His leadership helped to shape inclusive services, promote co-production, and advance the use of direct payments and personal assistance.
Jim Elder-Woodward, Chair of the ILF Scotland Advisory Group, said:
“I am truly saddened that my dear friend and comrade, Etienne d’Aboville, has passed away after a period of illness. I had known and worked with Etienne for 30 years and his loss will be badly felt. Etienne has worked very closely with many of us in the Independent Living Movement over the past 30 years. He was an absolute giant in our movement. He was an accomplished and wonderful man with a heart of gold. He put our collective cause, and disabled people, ahead of any personal ego. Rest in peace my dear friend.”
Anne-Marie Monaghan, ILF Scotland Chairperson, said:
“Since meeting Etienne in the 1980s I have always known him as a leading advocate for disability rights and independent living in Scotland. He championed the principle that disabled people should have full choice and control over their lives, pioneering the use of direct payments and embracing self-directed support. His leadership challenged and contributed to national policy. He was a key driver behind the Independent Living Fund and championed the Scottish Government to retain it as a separate entity and not disperse it to local authorities. Etienne influenced legislation and funding models that empowered disabled people. He really was a stalwart for the rights of disabled people in Scotland and will be sorely missed.”
Peter Scott OBE, ILF Scotland Chief Executive Officer, said:
“Etienne’s involvement with ILF Scotland was significant and foundational. As an activist he played a critical role in the campaign to create our organisation in the first place, and he was a key member of the Scottish Government working group that oversaw the establishment of ILF Scotland in 2015. Later, serving as a Director, he brought a unique and invaluable combination of lived and professional experience to the Board.
“Etienne was a man of warmth and wisdom, and his contribution to social justice and independent living was profound. He will be missed terribly by the Movement, by his colleagues and friends, and by all of us who had the genuine privilege to know him.
“All of us at ILF Scotland send our love and thoughts to his family.”
