Supporting disabled children and their families in Scotland: A review of policy and research

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has been supporting research about disabled children and their families for a number of years. An earlier Foundations covering the messages from these projects has already been published (1). This Foundations places the messages from that work into the Scottish context. It gives an overview of current policies affecting disabled children and their families in Scotland and draws on research carried out north of the border

Rights and responsibilities: The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and adults with learning disabilities

The purpose of this research is to examine Part III (access to goods, facilities and services) of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 in relation to people with learning disabilities. Very little previous research has been done on this topic. The study aims, firstly, to explore how far people with learning disabilities, family carers and service providers are aware of their rights and responsibilities under the Act; secondly, to examine what legal action has been taken by people with learning disabilities and thirdly, to identify any barriers associated with the Act and how these might be overcome

Taking service providers to court: people with learning disabilities and Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Despite evidence of poor service provision for people with learning disabilities in the UK (e.g. DRC, Code of practice. Rights of access: services to the public, public authority functions, private clubs and premises. London: The Stationery Office, 2006; Sloan, J Inform Law Tech [electronic journal], 2001), very little use has been made of Part III (Goods, Facilities and Services) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 by people with learning disabilities (personal communication, Disability Rights Commission Conciliation Management Unit). Difficulties faced by individuals who might consider pursuing a claim against a service provider are well-documented and include stress, time and financial constraints (Crit Soc Policy, 20: 533-549, 2000). Once a complaint has been made or a claim lodged other legislative barriers can make it difficult to pursue a case (Industr Law J, 32: 164-184, 2003). The aim of this article is to investigate the effectiveness of legislative use of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in promoting equality for people with learning disabilities. Effectiveness will be gauged through analysis of the legal process engaged in by two people with learning disabilities who made claims against service providers under Part III of this Act

Rights and responsibilities: Fair treatment for adults with learning disabilities

This leaflet discusses fair treatment for adults with learning disabilities. It set out to see if the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) had helped service providers to treat people with learning disabilities fairly

Disabled parents' involvement in their children's education: an examination of good practice

This report comes at the end of an 11 month study exploring disabled parents' experiences of involvement in their children's education. Supporting parents' participation in their children's schooling has been a government goal for decades. However, previous research has shown that some groups of parents face particular barriers to involvement. This includes disabled parents - although few studies (Joseph Rowntree Foundation 20031, Wates 20042, Morris 20043, Robinson et al4) have focused on their experiences. The focus of this research is very much on identifying and exploring examples of good practice in involving disabled parents within schools and local education authorities. These case studies of individuals' positive experiences are set alongside a review of relevant literature, a critical analysis of wider policy and practice frameworks across the UK, and an analysis of key informant interviews. The report begins with a brief resumé of the project aims and methods. It goes on to present the key findings of the research and finishes with a conclusion which draws out implications for policy and practice

Disabled parents' involvement in their children's education : an examination of good practice. Summary for parents

This leaflet sets out the main findings from research about disabled parents' involvement in their children's education. The research, completed in August 2009, was conducted by a team from Strathclyde University

Child protection and the needs and rights of disabled children and young people: A scoping study

Child abuse, as defined by the NSPCC, refers to ''behaviour that causes significant harm to a child. It also includes when someone knowingly fails to prevent serious harm to a child' (see http://www.child-to-child.org/about/childprotection.htm). The four types of abuse included in this study are physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. The World Health Organisation treats maltreatment, a word used in the US, as synonymous with abuse. Child protection, as defined by the voluntary agency Child-to-Child, is 'a broad term to describe philosophies, policies, standards, guidelines and procedures to protect children from both intentional and unintentional harm' (see http://www.child-tochild. org/about/childprotection.htm). This term is still used in Scotland and N Ireland and is the one we use most in this report. England and Wales use the term safeguarding, which perhaps implies the inclusion of early intervention and preventative practice. Finally, in referring to disabled children we include young people aged 0-18 with physical, sensory, learning or communication impairments or mental distress. This was a scoping study which aimed to lay the groundwork for a larger piece of research

Contextualising disabled children and child protection through Goffman's frame analysis

This presentation will explore findings from a Scottish Government funded study into child protection with disabled children, using Goffman’s frame analysis. It will begin by looking at previous research about the abuse and protection of disabled children and then outline frame analysis and models of disability. The research findings will be presented and discussed, along with their wider implications

Tom Shakespeare (Ed.) (2015). Disability Research Today: International Perspectives. London: Routledge. 254pp. (ISBN: 978-0-415-74844). £26.99 (pbk.)

For over 20 years, Tom Shakespeare has been at the forefront of challenging received wisdom within Disability Studies. He has been critical of what he sees as its often weak empirical basis: this edited volume aims to tackle that flaw, offering evidence to address gaps in knowledge and understanding and to support policy change. The book also aims to answer the question ‘What are we doing, when we do disability research?