17 July 08 – Publication of ODI research report: 002 - Experiences & expectations of disabled people

New research published today by the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) provides a comprehensive snapshot of the lives of disabled people in Great Britain during 2007 and will provide evidence to help the Government progress towards its vision of disability equality by 2025.

The research was unique for Government research in that it actively involved disabled people at all stages of the project.

The report looks at a wide range of issues in the lives of disabled people including employment, housing, transport, education, social networks, civic participation, health, experiences of discrimination and awareness of disability equality legislation.

Background

1. This Experiences and Expectations of Disabled People research report was commissioned to provide an updated picture on the lives of disabled people and thereby help the Government progress towards achieving disability equality by 2025. This is the first comprehensive look at the lives of disabled people in Britain since the 2001 Disabled for Life? Attitudes to, and experiences of, disability in Britain report.
2. The research incorporates the views of approximately 2,000 people who would potentially have rights under the DDA. This includes those who currently have a long standing limiting illness, have a long standing illness which would be limiting without medication, and those who would have been covered by the DDA in the past. The research sought to include people whose views tend to be underreported such as those living in communal establishments, from ethnic minorities or who are gay, lesbian or bisexual.
3. This evidence will serve as a baseline of disabled people’s experiences in these areas, and will be used by ODI and across government to help identify key areas for progress to deliver disability equality by 2025.

Main findings

• Disabled people are more likely than non-disabled people to experience disadvantage: compared with the population as a whole, disabled people tend to live in households on lower incomes, are less likely to be in paid work, and less likely to hold academic qualifications.
• There is limited evidence from this survey that the gaps between disabled and non-disabled people have closed between 2001 and 2007. However, disabled people were less likely to experience problems accessing goods and services in 2007 than in 2001.
• Disabled people’s expectations were explored by asking about barriers encountered to participation in employment, learning, social activities and their local community. The main barrier to participation was not feeling well enough to participate, or to participate more. Other barriers included lack of time, lack of money, lack of confidence and the attitudes of others. Access barriers (such as difficulties getting to and from venues) were also noted.
• The research also underlined the importance of choice and control in disabled people’s lives. The majority of disabled people were satisfied with the level of choice they had in their life (for example, choice in relation to formal support and health services), and those who felt they had a choice were more likely to be satisfied with such services.
• Older disabled people were the most likely to be satisfied with their lives, with their homes and with the services they receive. Younger disabled people, particularly those aged 16 to 34, were least likely to be satisfied. These findings are consistent with research across a wide range of services which has found that older people are generally more likely than younger people to express satisfaction with services, particularly in relation to health services. Many of the older disabled people interviewed appeared to view their disability as a reflection of their older age.
• People with mental health conditions reported the least positive experiences and outcomes: they tend to live in households on lower incomes, were less likely than other disabled people to be in paid work, tend to live in households on lower incomes and more likely to feel they have experienced discrimination. Many of the barriers that people with mental health conditions encountered related to a lack of confidence and the attitudes of others.
• Disabled people on the lowest incomes and those in workless households tended to report less positive experiences and outcomes.
• Relatively few disabled people consciously articulated the social model of disability by saying that attitudes and barriers in society prevented them from leading a full life. However, many of the barriers described in the research are consistent with the social model, and this, along with other evidence of inequality, indicates that there may still be some way to go until disabled people achieve substantive equality in Britain.

Notes to Editors

1. This report is published on 17July 2008 in the ODI research report series (report number 002). It can be found on the ODI website:www.officefordisability.gov.uk.
2. The research was conducted by a consortium of independent organisations including GfK NOP, Office for Public Management, University of Nottigham, ppre and the Icarus Collective. GfK NOP led the consortium. The report's authors were Bridget Williams (GfK NOP Social research), Phil Copestake (OPM), John Eversely (ppre) and Bruce Stafford (University of Nottingham).
3. Families in Low Income Households - There are key differences between the people surveyed for this report and those included in DWP's publication: Households Below Average Income, An analysis of the income distribution 1994/95-2006/07, upon which the government's poverty statistics are based. The EEDP sample includes a higher percentage of pensioners than found in the general population - 47 per cent compared to 20 per cent. In addition the EEDP report uses a broader definition of disability in line with the Disability Discrimination Act. Moreover the HBAI publication is based on equivalised incomes whereas EEDP figures are not. Therefore, caution must be exercised when comparing the income figures between the two different sources and it would not be accurate to discuss poverty in relation to the EEDP findings.

Both EEDP and the HBAI show that disabled people are more likely to be in low income households than non-disabled people.

The 2006/07 HBAI publication shows that on a Before Housing Cost basis, around a quarter of disabled people were living in poverty, compared to 17 per cent of non-disabled individuals. On an After Housing Cost basis, around a quarter of disabled people were living in poverty, compared to 21 per cent of non-disabled individuals. The rates of poverty amongst disabled individuals of working age were around double that of non-disabled individuals of working age.

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