About us

Knowledge is power and we believe that knowing how to access the information you need, when you need it, helps disabled people to break down the barriers that exclude them.

We have been working since 1999 supporting disabled people, their families, carers and those who work with them to have access to reliable, impartial, accurate and helpful information on the topics and services that matter to them.

Mother and daughter

Disability Information Scotland helps to guide people through the maze of disability information. We offer information via:

  • a telephone helpline
  • text and email services
  • our website
  • our online  Scottish Disability Directory
  • and a range of information guides and other resources.

We work with disabled people, their families, friends, carers and people who work in the sector.

Our vision

Sharing information, enabling change.

Disability Information Scotland enable positive change by sharing information on disability when people need it, in a way they want it.

Mission statement

We provide reliable, accurate and accessible information throughout Scotland. We develop creative partnerships with other agencies to ensure information is widely distributed, accessible to all and has a positive impact on the lives of disabled people, their families, friends and carers and the people who work with them. We work with people to find out what information they need and how they would like it provided.

Values

Our values inspire and inform all that we do:

  • We care about people.
  • We strive to provide a high quality, tailored, person-centred service.
  • We take a positive approach in all our work.
  • We subscribe to the social model of disability.
  • We are open to, and encourage and support, new and interesting ideas and ways of working.
  • We believe in the importance of building meaningful relationships with everyone we encounter.

If you’d like to learn more about us, please see our latest Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31st March 2023.

You can call our helpline on 0300 323 9961 for more information.

Our values

Our values inspire and inform all that we do:

  • Equal: We believe in equality of opportunity for all and subscribe to the social model of disability.
  • Sharing: We consider the sharing of knowledge and information to be one of the most powerful tools in enabling change.
  • Person-centred: We strive to provide a high quality, tailored, person-centred service.
  • Together: We believe in the importance of building meaningful relationships with everyone we encounter.

What makes us different

We offer a tailored approach to individual enquiries.

Empowering people

John emailed the helpline to ask whether there was any financial help available to install ramps and handrails in his home. His disability means that he has problems moving around his home and he has recently had a bad fall. Our helpline worker gave John information about his council’s  Scheme of Assistance and how to apply.  We also let him know about his local Care and Repair service which will provide independent advice to support older and disabled people to maintain and adapt their homes. John was glad to know about the local help and help and support available.

Providing tailored information

Melanie rang us as she planned to visit Edinburgh. She finds walking distances difficult and was  looking information about transport, accommodation and accessible tourist venues in Edinburgh.  We talked Melanie through options for accessible public transport, sightseeing and accommodation and sent her a pack of information to refer to as she travelled. She gave feedback after her trip, in particular about visiting Edinburgh Castle.

Knowing your rights

Pauline rang the helpline unhappy about the social work support her adult son was receiving from their local council. She wanted to know how she could challenge a decision they disagreed with. We let Pauline know about her local council’s complaints procedure and explained her son’s self-directed support options. We emailed information to her so she could discuss it with her son and they could plan what to say in the complaint. They felt encouraged to go back to the social work department and thanked us for information which supported them to take forward their case with the council.

What is the social model of disability?

The social model of disability is a framework that understands disability as a problem that society has and not a person’s condition or impairment. Therefore society has the responsibility to mitigate the barriers it has developed. The model seeks to empower disabled people by challenging society to remove these barriers. It adopts an inclusive approach that promotes pro-active thought on how certain adjustments can be made to create a more equal society.

Our Social Impact Map

Our friends at Pilotlight helped us draw up this diagram:

  • it shows the impact of our services on the people we work with
  • each arrow in the diagram means ‘leads to…’

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