4.3 Planning with Disabled People
Throughout this document we have explained how important it is to consult current and potential service users about the planning and development of individual services.
It is worth noting that disabled people are not a single group. The needs of one group of disabled people will not be the same as the needs of other groups. The needs of individuals within a group will also vary. When you are considering involving disabled people, you will need to be aware of the varying needs of many groups and individuals.
These will include the following:
people with a visual, hearing or dual sensory impairment,
people with impaired mobility,
people with learning difficulties,
people with specific literacy difficulties, for example dyslexia,
people with limiting illnesses, for example HIV or epilepsy,
people with mental health difficulties,
representatives of disabled people.
There are four key stages. Different organisations will be at different stages.
Information
Consultation
Participation
Management
You must ensure that disabled people receive information about services.
You must consult with disabled people on any service developments.
You should secure the participation of disabled people in the planning and delivery of services.
If you are mainly serving disabled people you should aim to place disabled people in positions of management.
The SAIF Guide to User-Led Reviews is a supplement to these Standards. It is designed to help agencies to assess how well they are implementing the Standards through the involvement of disabled people and is available free from SAIF.
Go to the next page: Local Strategies
(c) Scottish Accessible Information Forum, 2007
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