Chamber and committees

The National Autistic Society run employment projects (Prospects and Into Work) to give adults with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) the opportunity to succeed in employment.

The Scottish Government provided funding for the setting up of one-stop-shops in Glasgow and Lothian for adults with high functioning autism or Asperger''s syndrome. These pilot projects have been very successful and we are now encouraging other local authority areas to develop similar advice centres. The one-stop-shops support people in a number of ways including building skills and giving advice and support on getting into employment.

Autism initiatives has been funded to co-ordinate an approach to the development of social firms specifically for people with autism spectrum disorders in Scotland. This will help them into real jobs compatible with their unique skills and support needs.

The Scottish Government is working in partnership with COSLA on the development of a Framework for Supported Employment. The framework is being developed to look at how we assist more disabled people, including those with ASDs into the open labour market.

While there is no central source of data specifically on the number of accessible houses built in Scotland there is information on the number of houses built by local authorities and Registered Social Landlords. As all Scottish Government funded new build is required to comply with Housing for Varying Needs standards this provides some information on the number of new housing which is accessible.

Information on new build in Scotland can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NewBuild.

There is a requirement for Scottish Government funded new build to comply with Housing for Varying Needs standards, which ensures the housing can continue to meet the changing needs of it occupants. This builds upon the concept of barrier free principles, which state that housing and its environment should meet the needs of almost everyone.

More information can be found in the Scottish Government''s Disability Equality Scheme which can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/22092418/0.

The Scottish Government is committed to making its information available to all, including disabled people. Public bodies have responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act to make reasonable adjustments to enable access to services. Under the Disability Equality Duty, they are also required to have due regard to the need to promote equality for disabled people. We take our duties under the Disability Discrimination Act and Disability Equality Duty seriously, and expect other organisations and public bodies to do so too.

We are currently providing the Scottish Accessible Information Forum (SAIF) with funding of £80,021 per year until March 2011.

This funding will allow SAIF to continue to carry through the recommendations of Enabling Information, a report on improving access and raising standards in information services for disabled people and their carers in Scotland, one of the conclusions of the Scottish Working Group on Information Services for People with Disabilities.

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The Scottish Government is committed to making its information available to all, including disabled people. We take our duties under the Disability Discrimination Act seriously, and expect other organisations to do so too.

Both the Scottish Government website (www.scotland.gov.uk) and Intranet (Saltire) aim to ensure all content meets a minimum web accessibility initiative AA rating. All official publications are made available online in both html and pdf format. In addition www.scotland.gov.uk uses Dexerit text to speech software for official publications and news releases.

We will supply Scottish Government published documents in alternative formats where appropriate or on request to increase public accessibility. These will include other languages, audio, Braille and large type formats and will include availability in electronic as well as printed formats.

We currently have no plans to review this provision.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Government Health Directorates has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland. The CSO primarily responds to requests for funding research proposals initiated by the research community in Scotland. The CSO does not therefore have any specific plans for further investment in research on these conditions but would welcome research proposals in these areas which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Government Health Directorates has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and healthcare needs in Scotland. CSO primarily responds to requests for funding research proposals initiated by the research community in Scotland. CSO does not therefore, have any specific plans for further investment in research into learning difficulties but would welcome research proposals into this area which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

There is a range of both institutional and individual financial support packages available to students studying within Scotland depending on whether the student is on a further or higher education course.

Colleges receive block grants for teaching which are not split into funding for specific courses or assistance. In 2008-09, the main teaching allocation totalled £392 million. In addition to funding for teaching the courses, colleges receive funds to support their students. This includes a bursary allocation which can be used to meet the additional support needs of students to assist them accessing and participating in college. This part of the bursary allowance is called the Additional Support Needs for Learning Allowance and is not subject to a means test. These funds can be used by the student (or on the student''s behalf) to fund a personal learning assistant or to pay for assistive technology. In 2008-09, the bursary allocation totalled £58 million.

The Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is an non income assessed allowance intended to cover the extra costs or expenses a student may have while undertaking a higher education course which arises because of their disability. In 2007-08, 3,625 students were in receipt of DSA payments totalling £8.1 million. This is an increase of 7.1% in terms of numbers and 6.7% in terms of amounts paid out since 2006-07. As part of the DSA, students can receive support from a non-medical personal helper (NMPH), for example a dyslexia specialist support worker. From academic year, 2008-09, eligible students that require the assistance of a NMPH will benefit from an increased allowance of up to £20,000.

There are no targets for self-directed support. The National Performance Framework describes the national outcomes, targets and indicators agreed with COSLA.

The Scottish Government currently collects annual statistics from Scottish local authorities on the number of people in receipt of direct payments. The term direct payments is largely historical and focused on a system of delivery of social care rather than outcomes for individuals.