Disability Equality Plan Equality Impact Assessment Executive Summary

Chapter 2: Data about disabled people in Scotland

This chapter provides a summary of existing evidence on disabled people’s equality in Scotland through the lens of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010.

It represents the most recent data on disabled people drawn primarily from Scottish sources. There are areas in relation to which there is limited data available, in which case data from the UK and further afield has been referred to. The views of disabled people have been fed in through the SLWG, and DPO research reports have also been considered. There is unfortunately limited data relating to disabled people which considers their other protected characteristics, especially with regards to race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships. As stated above, the analysis has however been considered through an intersectional lens, using the available data to make robust assumptions about the additional impact of multiple marginalisation.

Where there is insufficient data to draw any conclusions, this has been noted. It is important to note that many people have multiple protected characteristics, and when coupled with the breadth of actions in the plan, this means the impacts inevitably play out in intersecting ways. These data limitations have been reflected in the plan, which includes an action to gather and publish new, robust quantitative data about disabled people. This will enable the impact of policy changes to be more fully understood in the future.

Disability

Data recently published from Scotland’s Census 2022 has shown an increase in the percentage of people with “a long-term illness, disease or condition” that “lasted or was expected to last more than twelve months” from 18.7% in 2011 to 21.4% in 2022. The most common type of condition reported in the census was a ‘long-term illness, disease or condition’. This is a broad category that includes a range of conditions such as Arthritis, Cancer, Diabetes and Epilepsy. Data from the UK wide Family Resources Survey: financial year 2022 to 2023 found an even greater prevalence, with 27% of people in Scotland stating they are disabled, in the terms set out in the Equality Act 2010.

Given the significance of the Covid-19 pandemic in contributing to the circumstances which the Plan aims to address, data relating to its impact is included here, and is considered in the analysis below. We know that disabled people continue to be disproportionately impacted by Covid-19. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that disabled people in the UK are more likely to die because of it. The ONS has also found that the negative social impacts of the pandemic have been greater for disabled people. 46% of disabled people said the pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health, compared with 29% for non-disabled people.

Tressa Burke, CEO of Glasgow Disability Alliance gave evidence to the Scottish Covid Inquiry on 14 November 2023 and highlighted that “Disabled people were not ready for a pandemic. No specific consideration had been given to disabled people in planning for a pandemic. We want disabled people to be involved in future planning, and also in planning for recovery and renewal after this pandemic.”

A report by Inclusion Scotland on climate change and disabled people (It’s our planet too: Climate change, disabled people and climate action in Scotland) points to the disproportionate impact of climate change and resultant extreme weather events on disabled people noting that “bigger wildfires, longer droughts, and more intense storms and floods can be catastrophic for some disabled people, who are more likely to be marginalised by poverty and other social barriers that make them less likely to be evacuated safely, more prone to health risks and less likely to have insurance that protects their assets and homes.”

There are various actions within the Plan, discussed further below, which are intended to address these ongoing negative impacts of Covid-19. In addition, actions relating to winter preparedness and emergency planning, and ensuring the drive to achieve net zero takes account of disabled people’s needs, have been informed by this data.

Age

2022 census data shows an increase in the number of older people with a health problem or disability that limits their day-to-day activities. Whilst the percentage of people aged 75 or older with a health problem or disability that limits their day-to-day activities actually decreased over the decade (67.1% to 62.5%) the overall increase in older people meant there was an increase in the number of older people under this category. More people in this group reported that their activities were limited a lot (53.0%) rather than a little (47.0%).

Young people also saw an increase in the number of people with a health problem or a disability that limited their day-to-day activities. The number or people aged 16 to 34 in this category almost doubled from 93,300 to 183,700 between 2011 and 2022. This means that in 2022 around 1 in 7 people aged 16 to 35 (14.4%) had a health problem or a disability that impacted their day to day activities.

According to the 2021 Scottish Health Survey, 33% of 16-24 year olds identify as having a long term health condition. Although not every person with a long term health condition will describe themselves as disabled, some may be covered under the definition of disability in the Equality Act 2010.

Inequalities evidence related to Covid 19 (Inequalities by age in the context of Covid-19 (slide-pack)) suggests that younger people are:

• Far more likely to earn less than the real Living Wage
• More likely to be financially vulnerable and in unmanageable debt
• More likely to be on zero-hour contracts and working in currently ‘shut down’ sectors (UK)
• More likely to experience poor mental wellbeing than older people

These inequalities are likely to be heightened for disabled young people when considering the multiple intersecting barriers that disabled people face.

Rural areas have a lower percentage of the population in the 16-34 age group and a higher proportion of people aged 45 and over. For example, in 2020 17% of the population in remote rural areas, and 19% of the population in accessible rural areas, were 16-34 year olds, compared to 26% in the rest of Scotland. Conversely, 58% of the population in remote rural areas, and 52% of the population in accessible rural areas, were aged 45 and over, compared to 45% in the rest of Scotland. In 2020 the proportion of people aged 65 or over was 21% in accessible rural areas and 26% in remote rural areas compared to 18% in the rest of Scotland.

Race

In 2022, there were approximately 387,967 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BME) people in Scotland, making up just over 7% of the population; a 3% increase since 2011 (Scotland’s Census 2022 -Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion). As disabled people may represent around 30% of all Scottish families, the Disability Equality Plan is likely to positively affect people in all ethnic groups.

Based on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)’s Annual Population Survey, an estimated 10% of disabled people aged 16 and over are from a minority ethnic background in England and Wales. Data breaking down disability in people with a minority ethnic background is not yet available in Scotland.

With regards to Covid-19 there is limited data on the impacts on people from a minority ethnic background. 2020 data from England and Wales found that the

highest age standardised diagnosis rates of Covid-19 per 100,000 population were in people of Black ethnic groups (486 in females and 649 in males) and the lowest were in people of White ethnic groups (220 in females and 224 in males). An analysis of survival among confirmed Covid-19 cases shows that, after accounting for the effect of sex, age, deprivation and region, people of Bangladeshi ethnicity had around twice the risk of death when compared to people of White British ethnicity. People of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Other Asian, Black Caribbean and Other Black ethnicity had between 10 and 50% higher risk of death when compared to White British. Death rates from Covid-19 were higher for Black and Asian ethnic groups when compared to White ethnic groups.

Data on deaths involving coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland published by the National Records of Scotland on 17 November 2021 (an update of a report first published on 8 July 2020) provided corroborating evidence. This report showed that deaths among people with Pakistani ethnicity were 3.7 times as likely to involve Covid-19 as people with White Scottish ethnicity. Deaths among people with Chinese ethnicity (1.7 times as likely), Indian ethnicity (1.7 times as likely) and other Asian ethnicity (3.0 times as likely) were more likely to involve Covid-19 than people with White Scottish ethnicity. The likelihood of deaths among people with other White, White Polish and White Irish ethnicity involving Covid-19 was not significantly different from those with White Scottish ethnicity.

Sex

1. There are more disabled women then men in Scotland. In 2017 a third (34%) of women in Scotland were disabled compared to 29% of men (Scotland's Wellbeing: national outcomes for disabled people). Recent census data is not yet disaggregated by sex with regards to disability and long-term illness. With regards to Covid deaths, data as of January 31 2022 in Scotland indicated that there were 2,172 male deaths with Covid as an underlying cause and 2,079 female deaths (Deaths with Covid-19 as the underlying cause in Scotland as of January 31, 2022, by age and gender) In England and Wales between March 2020 and February 2021 there was an 18% difference in the total number of Covid-19 related deaths for men (21,600) than women (16,600). In the early stages of the pandemic, particularly between 1 March and 30 April 2020, the difference was even more pronounced: 30% more men (21,600) than women (16,600) died in the UK due to Covid-19 during those two months. There were just over 38,200 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK during that period, and men accounted for around 57% of those.

At the same time, men and women’s experience of life in lockdown tended to differ, with women being more likely to be furloughed and to spend significantly less time working from home, and more time on unpaid household work and childcare. Glasgow Disability Alliance’s March 2022 report Triple Whammy: Disabled Women’s Lived Experiences of Covid-19 reported similar findings.

This report reflects evidence given in Engender’s response to the call for views on the aims and principles of the Scottish Covid-19 public inquiry, which noted that “specific issues and even deeper impacts have manifested for Black and minoritised women, young women, disabled women, unpaid carers, mothers, pregnant women, LGBTI women, and women with insecure immigration status, amongst other groups who experience intersecting forms of oppression and discrimination.”

Sexual orientation

The 2022 census found that there were 183,860 LGB+ people in Scotland, 4.0% of people aged 16 and over. Census data on LGBT+ people and disability will be available in winter 2024/early 2025. (Scotland’s Census 2022 - Sexual orientation and trans status or history | Scotland's Census (scotlandscensus.gov.uk) In the UK Government LGBT Survey carried out in 2017, a third (33%) of the 108,100 respondents indicated that they had a disability. More information on inequalities faced by disabled LGB+ people can be found in the mental health section of this EQIA.

Gender reassignment

The 2022 census found that there were 19,990 trans people in Scotland. This is 0.44% of people aged 16 and over. In the UK Government LGBT Survey carried out in 2017, a third (33%) of the 108,100 respondents indicated that they had a disability. The Scottish Trans and Non-binary Experiences Research Report 2024 highlighted that the majority of participants (67%) in the study considered themselves to be disabled or to have a long-term health condition. Physical health issues were mentioned by 39% of the respondents. Neurodivergence and mental health issues were mentioned by 8% and 17% respectively.

Pregnancy and maternity

We have not identified any particular barriers resulting from our policy approach which may affect people with the protected characteristic of pregnancy and maternity.

Marriage and civil partnership

The Scottish Government does not require assessment against this protected characteristic unless the policy or practice relates to work, for example HR policies and practices. This policy does not relate to work therefore we have not considered it for this EQIA.

Religion or belief

According to latest data published by Scottish Surveys Core Question in 2019, 50% of respondents identified as having "no religion" while 47% identified as Christian ("Church of Scotland", "Roman Catholic" or "other Christian"), 2% as Muslim, and 2% as an "other religion".