Background to the Research

• The DHSS commissions research on behalf of the NIDC to establish benchmark data by which to gauge the effectiveness of the DDA. This research falls into three broad areas: awareness of DDA amongst service providers and employers, the public perception of disability in Northern Ireland and the experiences of disabled people when using services. The findings in this report are based on a survey designed to measure public attitudes towards a range of disability issues. The survey was first carried out in February 1997 and repeated in January 1998 to monitor whether there was any change in attitudes over this period. This report draws mainly on the 1998 figures and refers to the 1997 figures only where substantive changes have occurred over the year.

Research Approach

• Data were collected through the NIOS which is carried out by the Central Survey Unit of NISRA. The NIOS is run on a regular basis and is designed to provide information on the views of a representative sample of people in private households in Northern Ireland on a range of issues.
• A sample of around 2050 private household addresses was selected for the NIOS in February 1997 and in January 1998. This yielded approximately 1000 individual interviews in 1997 and 1200 in January 1998. Data were analysed by gender, age, whether respondents had a disability or not and whether respondents had friends who had a disability. The results of these analyses are highlighted only where meaningful differences were revealed.

Main Findings

• Only 6% of respondents knew that the prevalence of disability in Northern Ireland was 1 in 6 (17.4% of the population) whilst 83% of respondents underestimated the prevalence and 10% said they didn't know.
• Almost all respondents felt that disabled people should have the same opportunities in life as non-disabled people (97% of respondents said so), but only 14% of respondents felt that disabled people do have the same opportunities.
• 77% believed that a disable person could be as productive as a non-disabled person in a work context. Of the 12% who felt that a disabled person could not be as productive the majority said that this was because the amount and work of work which a disabled person could do would be limited because of their disability.
• 71% of respondents felt that employers do not do enough to meet the needs of disabled people. This contrasts sharply with previous research on employers' intentions which showed that approximately half of employers plan to make changes to the physical features of the premises to comply with the DDA, only 1 in 5 intend to make changes to working arrangements and only 1 in 5 plan to make changes to their employment polices and practices.
• Only 9% of respondents felt that there is fair representation of disabled people in 'important jobs' such as supervisors, managers and heads of companies, and 83% felt that there should be more disabled people in such positions.
• Approximately two- thirds (65%) of respondents felt that providers of public transport and taxis did not do enough to meet the needs of disabled people.
• When asked about difficulties which disabled people face when using public transport or taxis the problem most frequently mentioned was access difficulties. Eighty-four percent of respondents identified this as a problem area.
• Over half (55%) of respondents felt that shops did not cater adequately for the needs of disabled people.
• When asked about difficulties which disabled face when shopping a range of problems were identified. These included difficulty getting into shops (56% of respondents mentioned this), narrow aisles (43%), shelves too high (39%) and getting to shops (26%).
• Sixty percent of respondents felt that places of entertainment did not cater adequately for the needs of disabled people.
• When asked about the difficulties which disabled people face when using pubs and restaurants a range of problems were identified including difficulty getting into places (60%), lack of space for wheelchairs (43%), inadequate toilet facilities (33%), high counters and bars (24%) and getting into venues (22%).
• Almost two thirds of respondents (63%) supported the idea of integrated education for disabled and non-disabled children and a further 17% had no strong preference.
• 59% felt that the state did not provide enough support for disabled people.
• When asked how the state could best provide assistance for disabled people 36% of respondents felt that legislation was the most effective way, 33% considered enhanced financial support most effective and 26% considered education most effective. Across both rounds of the survey there was a consistent recognition that legal measures were a key means by which the State can help disabled people.