Scottish support shortfall identified

Many people with learning difficulties in Scotland are still not being offered support to help them gain full-time work and develop relationships, a survey has found.

More than a third of the 605 people questioned by the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability for the charity Enable were employed in some capacity.

But just 3 per cent worked 35 hours a week or more, compared with 90 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women in the general population.

More than half of respondents said they lived independently and two-thirds felt their lives had improved over the past few years, although a third said they had no say over who supported them.
But people with learning difficulties were 25 times less likely to be married while a third said they had a boyfriend or girlfriend.

SCLD director Lisa Curtice said the “next big challenge” was to give people with learning difficulties more chances to form friendships.

The survey assessed the implementation of policies outlined in the Scottish executive’s The Same As You? report, published in 2000.