New research with disabled people in rural communities in Scotland has revealed problems with transport underpin nearly every challenge they face in accessing vital services.
The findings, published by Consumer Scotland, show cost, availability and accessibility are the three key barriers facing rural disabled consumers when accessing a range of services including health care, social care and leisure activities.
However, issues with private and public transport have wider impacts which affect the ability of disabled people in rural areas to access all these key services.
As a result, people experience difficulties such as missed health appointments, reduced leisure opportunities and increased social isolation.
Psychological impacts are also significant, with many consumers avoiding journeys altogether due to the anxiety caused and the heavy planning burden required.
Data from the Scottish Household Survey shows some 5% of adults in Scotland live in a rural location and have a disability – amounting to some 230,000 people.
To find out more about the experiences of disabled people in rural areas and identify key areas for action, Consumer Scotland commissioned research with disabled people from Dumfries and Galloway, the Highlands and Skye.
Consumer Scotland also analysed existing data and spoke to advocacy groups and charities, including Enable Scotland.
Issues the research reveals include:
- Public transport is often unreliable, expensive and physically inaccessible for disabled people in rural areas
- A lack of accessible vehicles and inadequate parking for blue badge holders
create further obstacles - Transport barriers have a knock-on effect for people, limiting their access to
other services including health and social care services and leisure activities - Health and social care services and leisure services themselves are not always easily available in rural areas
To address these challenges Consumer Scotland has made a series of
recommendations for coordinated action to improve transport and services including:
Better accessibility standards: Local authorities, bus operators, and ScotRail
should review accessibility policies and reporting procedures, and increase the proportion of accessible vehicles in rural areas
Innovative transport solutions: Regional Transport Partnerships and Transport Scotland should expand pilots of Demand Responsive Transport and Mobility as a Service schemes to provide flexible, integrated options for rural communities
Joined-up planning: The Scottish Government should review key strategies - including the Disability Equality Plan, National Islands Plan and Rural Delivery Plan - to identify gaps and make improvements
Consumer voice: Rural disabled consumers should be more directly involved in decisions taken by key sector bodies including Regional Transport Partnerships, Health and Social Care Partnerships and Culture and Leisure Trusts - for example through consumer panels
Consumer Scotland Policy and Advocacy Officer David Jackson said:
“The wellbeing of disabled consumers is often closely linked to their ability to access health and social care services. Similarly, the ability to engage in activities and social events is crucial to helping address potentially higher rates of loneliness and mental health challenges.
“Our research highlighted that transport is a major barrier affecting the ability of disabled people in rural areas to access these vital health and social care services and leisure activities.
“Disabled people told us about the pressure and anxiety accessing such services can create, and the inconvenience and discomfort they encounter when access is difficult. For some participants, the decision was to live with pain or loneliness instead of fighting against the barriers faced.
“We have made a range of recommendations to government, local authorities and other key bodies that, if implemented, will allow the voice of disabled consumers to be heard more clearly when decisions which affect them are made and which will improve experiences of health and social care, leisure activities, and the transport services needed to access them."
Background
Disabled consumers living in rural Scotland
To identify key areas for action Consumer Scotland:
- Reviewed existing evidence in relation to rurality and disability in Scotland
focusing on issues of affordability, choice and accessibility - Commissioned new research with independent research agency Thinks Insight and Strategy (Thinks) to examine how living in rural communities in Scotland can impact disabled consumers’ experiences. The research included in-depth engagement with 34 disabled people across Dumfries & Galloway, Highlands and Skye
- Gathered insights from four local community groups and organisations which support disabled people
- Undertook analysis of data from the Scottish Household survey to identify how the intersection of rurality and disability impacts the experiences of consumers in relation to transport, health services and participation in leisure activities
Consumer Scotland is the statutory body for consumers in Scotland which was established by the Consumer Scotland Act 2020.