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Richard Rieser
Disability Equality

STATISTICS OF INEQUALITY IN UK

Disabled people are twice as likely as non-disabled people to have no qualifications whatsoever.
Labour Force Survey Winter 2001/02,ONS

One in twenty disabled people are at college of Further or Higher Education- compared to one in ten of the rest of the population.
Labour Force Survey Winter 2000/01, ONS

Only 8% of disabled people have a degree level qualification compared to 17% of non-disabled people.
Labour Force Survey Winter 2001/02,OOS

There are more than 1 minion young peo" aged under 24 who have a disability (under the definition of the Disability Discrimination Act 1985.)
Household survey 1999 National Office of Statistics

This represents 5.5%-6% of the 18.3 million in this age group.
2001 Census OPC

Disabled people are around five times as likely as non-disabled people to be out of work and claiming benefits. There are 2.9 million disabled people out of work and claiming benefits.
Labour Force Survey 2001/02 ONS

60.2% of those pupils with statements of SEN are in mainstream schools.
35.3% are in special schools or Pupil Referral Units
DFES SFR11/2002

GCSE & GNV - ENGLAND 15 YEAR OLDS - 2001

5A* - C 5A* - G 1A* - G No Passes
All Schools 50% 88.9% 94.5% 5.5%
Special Schools 1 - 6.5% 29.3% 70.7%

1 All Special Schools in England Community, Foundation, Non Maintained and Independent.

GCSE & GNV - ENGLAND 15 YEAR OLDS - 2002

5A* - C 5A* - G 1A* - G No Passes
All Schools 51.5% 88.9% 94.6% 5.4%
Special Schools 1 0.6% 5.0% 37.2% 62.8%

Source: DfES.Area 6P

UNEQUAL OPPORTUNITIES GROWING UP DISABLED

Researchers took two stratified random samples of young people aged 13-22.
A: 400 disabled people on OPCS category 1-10.
B: 726 non-disabled young people.

Results A (Disabled) B (Non disabled)
% %
Living with parents 92 86
Gone on holiday with friends 25 52
Had a spare time job 22 32
Looked after siblings 34 57
Had own key 51 76
Paid work 35 67
Had a boy/girl friend 30 40
Difficulty making friends 35 20
Satisfact. Network with friends 57 74
Self esteem score 7.3 8.5
Internal locus of control 8.8 9.3

 

Self-esteem score out of 10
Special school 6.6
Disabled in mainstream 7.5
Non-disabled in mainstream 8.5

Reproduced with permission from Hirst and Baldwin
Social Policy Unit, York 1994.