Scottish Government Equality Outcomes: Disability Evidence Review

16 Conclusion: cross-cutting summary

16.1 In conclusion, this report has reviewed issues that disabled people face across a range of policy areas. A common theme that has run through this evidence review is the presence of barriers to participation, or barriers to accessing services. Whilst progress has been made over several years towards addressing physical barriers to access, social or attitudinal barriers to participation are cited widely in the evidence that has been reviewed. These attitudinal barriers are generally described as being held by non-disabled people, but in some instances disabled people's own attitudes appear to hold them back.

16.2 Disabled people report that the attitudes of others form barriers to learning. In the case of children with communication support needs, this is attributed - at least in part - to bullying triggered by peers' attitudes or lack of understanding. Disabled people also identify the attitudes of employers as barriers to employment, whereby employers make assumptions about disability or underestimate the capabilities of disabled people, and so engage staff at levels below their abilities. Wheelchair users felt that taxi companies were often not able or willing to be responsive to their needs, while individuals with learning difficulties identified the need for public transport staff to understand that some passengers need more time to say what they need or to respond to questions. There are issues with the credibility of learning disabled people as witnesses, and as victims reporting crimes. People with impairments including hearing impairments, visual impairments and learning difficulties report barriers to accessing healthcare and negative experiences of receiving healthcare, which are partly attributed to the training, awareness or attitudes of healthcare professionals. Reported barriers to participation in sport include external barriers, including the attitudes of others. In a similar vein, sighted people are reported to make incorrect assumptions about the abilities, needs and interests of visually impaired people with regard to cultural participation.

16.3 Disabled people also perceive their own lack of confidence as a barrier to employment. Disabled people often do not want to report harassment for a range of reasons, including concerns that they won't be believed - reflecting both their own attitudes, and their perception of others' attitudes. This may well contribute to the smaller proportion of disabled people who have confidence in the criminal justice system, than people without disabilities. Reported barriers to participation in sport include feeling 'different' from the majority of the population, feeling unable to fit in, self-consciousness or lack of confidence, and a fear of failure. Barriers to increased cultural participation include the low expectations of disabled people themselves.