Contents

Enabling Information: A report on improving access and raising standards in information services for disabled people and their carers in Scotland.

Executive Summary

Introduction

The Working Group was set up by the Scottish Office to consider how the provision of information for people with disabilities and their carers in Scotland might be improved. The group took account of the experience of existing information services in Scotland, the experience of the National Disability Information Project in England, and of developments elsewhere.

The existing pattern of provision

Responses to the Working Group's statement indicated the following features in the present situation:

• wide variation in the provision of information services at local level throughout different parts of Scotland, and in the extent to which and the manner in which local authorities attempt to meet their statutory duty to provide information to disabled people;
• poor relationships amongst information providers at national and at local level, and between national and local level;
• concern about the quality of information available, and of the services providing that information;
• a