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Enabling Information: A report on improving access and raising standards in information services for disabled people and their carers in Scotland.
Local information providers have indicated in responses to the working group that they are often uncertain as to whether a particular measure applies in Scotland and that it is a time consuming process to find out. Scotland's separate legal system, education system, and administrative structure require that when we talk about national information we are talking about Scottish information.
2.1 The Scottish Dimension
In the disability information field there are several organisations operating at the UK level which are based in England and whose information products do not always make it clear whether the situation in Scotland is the same as that in England and Wales. This is the case for example with information coming from Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) and DIAL UK. Some national agencies do have separate Scottish organisations which operate independently from the UK organisation, for example Age Concern Scotland, or separate Scottish offices, such as the Carers National Association, and these should ensure that information produced for use in Scotland is accurate. Similarly there are Scottish organisations which are closely linked with organisations based in London, but which do not necessarily even share the same name, for instance Enable, formerly the Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped, and Mencap. Scottish organisations often experience difficulty when considerable press coverage is given to an English publication which fails to make clear that the situation is different in Scotland.
There are several national providers based in England which produce information which is useful in Scotland and does not require a separate Scottish organisation. For example, the Holiday Care Service provides information to enable people to choose a holiday suited to their needs. MAVIS, the Mobility Advice and Vehicle Information Service provides information and advice on all aspects of driving and disability. The Centre for Accessible Environments provides information and advice on the practicalities of providing an accessible environment.
2.1.1 Screening for Scottish relevance
Citizens Advice Scotland (the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux) can be used as an example of how national information can be screened for Scottish relevance. All information produced by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux is sent to Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) for checking for Scottish relevance. If it applies in Scotland it is sent out to Scottish bureaux, clearly marked that it applies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If it does not, CAS produces an equivalent item that will only apply to Scotland and is clearly marked "Scottish extent". The closest parallel to CAS in the disability field is DIAL Scotland which, on a smaller scale, attempts to screen information produced by DIAL UK and adds any other information which applies in Scotland. Nonetheless, because the information sent out by DIAL Scotland has been produced by DIAL UK, it is not always clear to local groups whether the situation in Scotland is identical to that in the rest of the UK. DIAL Scotland does not have the resources to provide the quality or range of information provided by CAS.
2.1.2 Level of service provided in Scotland
A different problem is sometimes experienced where a UK organisation is producing information which is equally applicable in Scotland but the organisation is not providing the same level of support in Scotland. For instance the Disability Alliance, which produces information which is applicable throughout the UK, is not able to provide training courses in Scotland. This gap is to some extent filled by other organisations, such as the Disablement Income Group (DIG) Scotland which provides a speaker who travels around Scotland, in tours organised and advertised by Disability Scotland, speaking about the operation of particular benefits and providing expert advice on benefit matters.
2.2 National information providers in Scotland
At national level there are several types of organisation providing information for disabled people. The National Disability Information Project (NDIP) identified 3 types of national disability information provider: