Abstract
A survey has been carried out to examine the facilities available to a group of disabled people living in Scotland. Fifty paraplegics, living in Glasgow or the surrounding counties, were visited and interviewed.
The degree of unemployment in the group (74 per cent.) was far greater than has been reported in other surveys and no quadriplegic was in remunerative employment. Although the general unemployment level in the area is high, services to help the disabled gain employment were only partially utilised.
Liaison between social workers was not always successful. Some paraplegics were visited at home by both a medical social worker and a local authority social worker, while others were not supported by either. There is no apparent attempt by local authorities to identify the disabled as is required in England under Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act (1970). Several paraplegics lacked facilities which are covered by Section 2 of the Act. It would appear that the exclusion of Scotland from Sections 1 and 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act may widen the differences between the two countries as the Scottish legislation is less specific.
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Johnson, G., Johnson, R. & Bowie, G. Problems of social integration for paraplegics in Scotland. Spinal Cord 10, 126–133 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1972.22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1972.22