One in 10 disabled people have complex disabilities, ’groundbreaking’ research reveals

One in 10 disabled people in the UK have complex disabilities, the disability charity Sense has revealed, in “groundbreaking” research believed to be the first of its kind. 

A disabled person is considered to have ‘complex disabilities’ if they have two or more conditions which may require high levels of support – such as autism, learning disabilities, visual impairments or deafness.

The stats – co-developed with the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) – found that of the more than 14 million disabled people in Britain, 1.6 million have complex disabilities – with the figure expected to rise to 2 million by the end of this decade.

Responding to the figures, Sense blamed limited research on the topic as the reason for a “lack of robust and accurate data” – which it says has meant local authorities and the NHS have struggled to “adequately plan and commission services” and failed to “recognise the inter-connected nature of people’s needs”.

Chief Executive Richard Kramer said: “[This research] will mean that, for the first time, local authorities and the NHS will have information and data to understand the number of people with complex disabilities living in their area.

“Too often support and services are based around individual conditions and disabilities rather than looking at an individual’s range of needs. As a result, people with complex disabilities often struggle to get the care and support they need.

“We hope that this research will provide a significant milestone and enable local authorities and the NHS to use this information to develop a joined-up approach to policy making, assessment of need, service delivery and support.”

Emma Blackmore, a deafblind woman who works in Sense’s operations team, added: “From my own experience, too often services will not take into account that I have multiple disabilities – they’ll just focus on one.”

Researchers analysed data from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Family Resources Survey, as well as future estimates of the UK population, as part of their work to generate the figures.

Dr Sokratis Dinos, director of health at NatCen, said: “For the first time, this research shows the wide variation in the number of people estimated to have complex disabilities in different local authorities and constituencies.

“The findings highlight that some areas have more people with complex disabilities aged 65 or over, while other areas have more local people of working age with complex disabilities.

“These insights can help with understanding the needs of people experiencing complex disabilities living in different areas, and the services best suited to assist them.”

More information about complex disabilities can be found on Sense’s website.

Photo: Sense.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.