“Making disability information accessible to individuals from Black & Minority Ethnic groups”
Review of current findings and thinking, in relation to provision in Surrey
SID - Social Information on Disability (June/July 2008)
EHRC (Equality & Human Rights Commission) Funded project
This page summarises the SID report produced as background research for the project.
The Literature Review & Report
The report pulls together the research and views of others working in this field, together in one place. The reports, talks and research cited are linked to their relevant websites wherever these are available, or are fully referenced.
The report is designed as a working document for the SID project, so keeps this as its focus of learning, but may be useful to others as a point of reference.
The report includes -
- An overview of national and Surrey BME population statistics (including immigration figures, gypsy and traveller populations, faith groups & asylum seekers).
- A review of research in other parts of the UK (national and local), looking at the particular issues and barriers to accessing information for specific groups of disabled people within BME communities (eg people with visual impairment or older people who have a BME background). It also seeks to identify examples of good practice in these areas, on which to build.
- The implications of the findings in each of these areas is then considered in terms of their relevance to SID’s project focus on promoting disability information provision in the context of Surrey's particular demographics, infrastructure and services.
Findings
A common theme seems to be summed up in the words of one respondent -
’I just never thought the service was for me or my family‘
This may be due to a lack of expectation regarding the quality of life and health with old age, uncertainties about rights and eligibility or a lack of awareness about the ways that both information and services can and a re adapted to meet the needs of specific groups of individuals. Whatever the root cause, the result is the same - isolation and lack of life choices.
This is central to our work at SID, and confirms that this is an area in which there is much work to be done within Surrey, as elsewhere.
Specific issues for specific groups
The issues are complex, and the presenting barriers tend to be specific to a particular group. For example, 91% of Bangladeshi respondents told a researcher that written information would be useful to the directly, compared to, just 48% of Pakistani individuals. A blanket response in terms of either service provision or resource development would therefore be inappropriate.
As our review of the literature grew, we became increasingly aware of the breadth of the issues to address, and the fact that we will need to select specific groups on which to focus our work, if we are to do more than just touch the surface.
Key issues in Surrey
The BME groups interviewed in the 2005 research ‘Consultation with BME Communities for Surrey Supporting People Team’, Surrey County Council, carried out by PS Consultants, (17 respondents) felt that two issues were the most serious - frail elderly people or older people with support needs, and people with mental health needs. The BME individuals (191 respondents) agreed with this, but also perceived learning difficulties to be a quite serious problem too.
Examples of good practice
In the course of the literature review we have found considerable information on the potential barriers to accessing both information and services, but few examples of good practice. While there are references to work that has been undertaken, it would seem that these are seldom written up, so that the experiences and outcomes are often not shared.
From the point of view of the next stage of SID’s EHRC funded project this means that more research will be needed at a grassroots level if we are to be able to build on the work of others (as well s developing our own initiatives). It also indicates the importance of writing up the work done and disseminating this information, so that others can learn from our work.
Next stage of the project
We have realised that, while initially we saw disability combined with BME issues in Surrey to be a specific area of work in itself, it actually constitutes an amorphous grouping for which it would be inappropriate to seek a single response. We have therefore identified five areas which, on the basis of the initial desk-based research, we feel both warrant further investigation and are areas in which we might be able to have a positive impact.
The next stage of the SID project will focus on the particular barriers to accessing information experience by the following communities -
- Visual Impairment (VI) within BME communities
While there is a higher incidence of certain eye conditions in people from BME communities, failing eyesight is often associated as an inevitable part of growing older and so that people do not seek support. - Refugees and Asylum seekers
The information provided to refugees and asylum seekers is generally related to their legal status, but often does not include information on the additional support related to any disability they may have, since this is not the area of expertise for their primary information providers. With both Gatwick and Heathrow on the borders of Surrey, we are in a good position to impart information at the point of entry to the UK. - Benefits take up by older people within BME communities
Older people from within BME communities are often unsure as to their eligibility for benefits and assume that entitlement would mean an automatic payment. Under claiming of benefits is likely to have a significant impact on the quality of an individual‘s life and their ability to make choices about how they lead their lives. - Travellers and Gypsies
Surrey has the fourth largest traveller community in the UK, approximately 10,000 individuals. Travellers and Gypsies have particular health issues especially associated with anxiety, but have difficulty in accessing information about services due to a transient lifestyle and a lack of access to education.
The next stage of this project will include further local research, workshops, networking, awareness raising and the development of specific information resources.
For further information contact Karen Thurston via our contact page.