Scottish Government

2 METHODS

2.1 The fieldwork for this research project took place in two distinct phases, using a range of methods. These phases were:

1. Mapping - secondary data collection and an online survey.
2. Qualitative fieldwork - interviews and focus groups with disability organisations across Scotland.

2.2 The two phases are described below.

Mapping

2.3 The overall purpose of the mapping phase was to identify, categorise and map disability organisations across Scotland. There were two main methods used in this phase:

• Secondary data collection from existing directories to create a database of disability organisations
• An online survey of disability organisations to gather more detailed information

2.4 A full description of the mapping process can be found in ( Mapping Scotland's Disability Organisations, December 2009)

Online survey

2.5 Every organisation identified in the mapping process was contacted to request their participation in an online survey. Of the local organisations 10% did not have an email address. In these cases, a request was sent by post.

Table 2.1: How organisations were contacted

2.6 The survey asked for information on:

• size and structure (e.g. whether stand-alone or part of a branch structure)
• location and spread of activity
• main types of activity or service
• client groups
• impairment focus
• proportion of board members and voting members who are disabled people
• how information was disseminated
• membership of networks

2.7 Overall 505 organisations took part in the survey. That is 36% of the 1,400 organisations identified during the mapping process. The results of the survey enabled mapping of organisations across Scotland according to a range of criteria and the identification of gaps in representation. It also provided the sampling frame for the qualitative phase of the research.

Qualitative fieldwork

2.8 The overall purpose of the qualitative fieldwork was to explore to the capacity of disability organisations to engage with public authorities. This was achieved by a combination of focus groups, face-to-face interviews and telephone interviews with a range of both national and local disability organisations across Scotland.

National Organisations

2.9 At the time of sampling for phase 2, the Master List included 215 disability organisations in Scotland with a national remit. The research team drew up a list of nine national organisations to be interviewed which represented the main impairment specific bodies in Scotland. In addition, two key disability network/forum organisations - Inclusion Scotland and the Scottish Disability Equality Forum were interviewed.

2.10 All other national organisations on the Master List were invited to participate in a group discussion. These were held in Edinburgh and Glasgow, as nearly all national disability organisations are based in the central belt.

2.11 A total of 41 national disability organisations in Scotland contributed to the fieldwork, of which 13 were interviewed and 28 took part in a group discussion. Overall 20% of all national organisations took part in the phase 2 fieldwork.

Local organisations

2.12 The Master List identified (at the time of sampling) over 800 local disability organisations. In order to make the research task manageable and to obtain a comprehensive picture within local areas, the research team selected five geographic areas of Scotland. These were:

• Aberdeen City
• East Renfrewshire
• Edinburgh City
• Highland
• Lothians - East, Mid and West Lothian

2.13 These specific locations were chosen to reflect the distribution of the disabled population in Scotland. Just over 40 per cent of all adults in Scotland live in large urban areas. Disabled adults are slightly more likely to live in large urban areas (44 per cent) than those without a disability (40 per cent) ¹. The fieldwork reflects this distribution and is therefore weighted to more urban areas of Scotland. Specifically Highland and the Lothians were chosen as they have accessible small towns. That is small towns within a 30 minute drive of a population of 10,000 and remote small towns, in particular areas within Highlands which are over a 30 minute drive to larger settlements/towns ².

2.14 Fieldwork was through a combination of face-to-face and telephone interviews and group discussions. The latter took place either as stand-alone meetings or as part of a series of research days held in Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow. The research days included presentations on disability-related topics and stalls hosted by disability organisations to try to attract maximum participation in the research by disability organisations.

2.15 Overall 27% of local organisations within the sample areas took part in the fieldwork, as shown in Table 2.2 below.

Table 2.2: Local organisations participating in phase 2 fieldwork

2.16Appendix One lists all the organisations that contributed to the research by taking part in an interview or a group discussion.