1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 This report is one of a series of three produced as a result of research into disability organisations across Scotland and their capacity to influence public bodies. The other two reports are on the mapping of disability organisations across Scotland and the capacity of disability organisations to engage with public authorities. Taken together the three reports contribute to a clearer understanding of disability organisations in Scotland and to a heightening appreciation of how they can individually and collectively engage with public bodies.
1.2 The whole project focused primarily upon the capacity of disability organisations to engage. That is to what extent organisations have the ability, skills, structure, opportunities, resources and authority to engage with public authorities. This is different to how public authorities should engage with disability organisations.
1.3 This report presents, within one reference document, relevant information about what is known and recommended about 'how to engage organisations.' The information has been gathered from websites, documents, toolkits and case studies that set standards for and illustrate good practice in engagement with disabled people, either individually or through representative groups. It has been prepared as a signposting document to the resources available to support and enhance engagement. It is directed at public authorities and disability organisations and can be used as a source of reference by all organisations wishing to improve their engagement policies and practice. It sets out in four sections what has been developed in relation to:
1.4 Section 6 provides a full list of the resources referred to in this paper and electronic links to the publications and organisations.
1.5 The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 established the legal requirement for all public service bodies to encourage and enable the involvement of all sectors of society in local decision-making processes. These were main drivers for the development of principles to guide and support the necessary engagement processes.
1.6 Most of the resources presented here were published after the publication of both the Disability Discrimination Act and the National Standards of Community Engagement in 2005.
1.7 The web address ( URL) for each of the websites referred to in this guide is given in the list of sources at the end of this paper and there are links from many of these to other useful sites. Lucy Johnston and Anna Barton wrote the report.