Disability: introduction

Disability is difficult to define and, therefore, the prevalence of disability is difficult to measure. However, with an estimated one fifth of the Scottish population affected by disability, it is critical to do both for reasons of policy, service provision and planning. 

Traditionally, definitions have generally reflected two ways of thinking based on either the individual (or medical) model, or the social model of disability. 'Individual' definitions focus on the person and their impairment and functioning, whereas 'social' definitions emphasise the restriction imposed upon the person by their social and physical environment.

There is no single definition of disability that is used to measure the prevalence of disability in Scotland, as the counts and definitions are dependent upon the purposes of the measurement. Thus, a lack of comparability between definitions, together with limited data makes it difficult to gather and assess baseline information on the number of people affected by disability. The main sources of data shown within these pages of the website are the Census and administrative sources e.g. government departments. The latter are clearly limited in that they are based on entitlement to particular benefits.