Annex B – Sample Characteristics
504 responses were submitted to the survey during a 4-week period: 8th July until 2nd August 2024. These were all mainly from individuals, however a small number (fewer than 14) of respondents selected that they were responding as an organisation.[31]
The research team also received additional input, using the survey framework, from two disability membership networks. These organisations contacted us following the survey’s launch asking for alternate means of contributing which researchers then accommodated. One of our researchers attended an online session on 12th July with [The Assembly] – hearing from ~14 members, on 3 questions of: what do you like to do in your free time; what stops you from doing what you want to do; and how does taking part in cultural/creative activities make you feel.[32] Researchers also separately received written contributions from The Action Group, collating some of their members responses to the same three questions.
Table 2 presents a more detailed breakdown of the sample who responded through Citizen Space, including the number and percentage who identified with different demographic characteristics.
Table 2 : Detailed sample characteristics of the respondents of the online free-text survey
| Local Authority |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| Aberdeen City |
8 |
1.6% |
| Aberdeenshire |
14 |
2.8% |
| Angus |
9 |
1.8% |
| Argyll and Bute |
13 |
2.6% |
| Clackmannanshire |
2 |
0.4% |
| Dumfries and Galloway |
14 |
2.6% |
| Dundee City |
29 |
5.8% |
| East Ayrshire |
5 |
1.0% |
| East Dunbartonshire |
15 |
3.0% |
| East Lothian |
15 |
3.0% |
| East Renfrewshire |
11 |
2.2% |
| Edinburgh, City of |
98 |
19.6% |
| Falkirk |
9 |
1.8% |
| Fife |
18 |
3.6% |
| Glasgow |
80 |
15.9% |
| Highland |
27 |
5.4% |
| Inverclyde |
7 |
1.4% |
| Midlothian |
11 |
2.2% |
| Moray |
7 |
1.4% |
| Na h-Eileanan Siar |
4 |
0.8% |
| North Ayrshire |
7 |
1.4% |
| North Lanarkshire |
11 |
2.2% |
| Orkney Islands |
2 |
0.4% |
| Perth and Kinross |
11 |
2.2% |
| Renfrewshire |
10 |
2.0% |
| Scottish Borders |
12 |
2.4% |
| Shetland Islands |
4 |
0.8% |
| South Ayrshire |
5 |
1.0% |
| South Lanarkshire |
14 |
2.8% |
| Stirling |
13 |
2.6% |
| West Dunbartonshire |
2 |
0.4% |
| West Lothian |
9 |
1.8% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
8 |
1.6% |
| Age (years) |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| 0-15 |
1 |
0.2% |
| 16-24 |
16 |
3.2% |
| 25-34 |
64 |
12.7% |
| 35-44 |
84 |
16.7% |
| 45-54 |
97 |
19.2% |
| 55-64 |
120 |
23.8% |
| 65-74 |
83 |
16.5% |
| 75-84 |
26 |
5.2% |
| 85+ |
2 |
0.4% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
11 |
2.2% |
| Sex |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| Female |
366 |
72.6% |
| Male |
114 |
22.6% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
24 |
4.8% |
| Trans history |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| Yes |
6 |
1.2% |
| No |
462 |
91.7% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
36 |
7.1% |
| Ethnicity |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| African, African Scottish or African British |
1 |
0.2% |
| Asian, Asian Scottish, Asian British |
2 |
0.4% |
| Chinese, Chinese Scottish, Chinese British |
2 |
0.4% |
| Indian, Indian Scottish or Indian British |
3 |
0.6% |
| Mixed or multiple ethnic group |
9 |
1.8% |
| Pakistani, Pakistani Scottish or Pakistani British |
7 |
1.4% |
| Other ethnic group |
9 |
1.8% |
| White (Scottish, British, Irish) |
413 |
81.9% |
| White Minorities (Polish, Gypsy Traveller) |
4 |
0.8% |
| White other |
36 |
7.1% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
18 |
3.6% |
| Unpaid Carer |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| No |
402 |
79.8% |
| Yes |
85 |
16.9% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
17 |
3.4% |
| Disability[33] |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| No |
330 |
65.5% |
| Yes |
136 |
27.0% |
| Don’t know |
7 |
1.4% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
31 |
6.2% |
| Disability reduces ability to carry-out day-to-day activities |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| Not at all |
26 |
19.1% |
| Yes, a little |
83 |
61.0% |
| Yes, a lot |
27 |
19.9% |
| Financial situation |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| Managing very well |
59 |
11.7% |
| Managing quite well |
130 |
25.8% |
| Getting by alright |
223 |
44.2% |
| Not managing very well |
43 |
8.5% |
| Having some financial difficulties |
27 |
5.4% |
| In deep financial trouble |
3 |
0.6% |
| Don't know |
2 |
0.4% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
17 |
3.4% |
| Employment status |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| Full-time |
186 |
36.9% |
| Not working due to illness/disability |
12 |
2.4% |
| Part-time |
87 |
17.3% |
| Retired |
107 |
21.2% |
| Self-employed |
73 |
14.5% |
| Studying |
16 |
3.2% |
| Unemployed not seeking work |
1 |
0.2% |
| Unemployed seeking work |
5 |
1.0% |
| Other |
10 |
2.0% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
7 |
1.4% |
| Education qualifications received[34] |
Number of respondents |
Percentage of respondents |
| School Leaving Certificate, National Qualification Access Unit |
19 |
3.8% |
| O Grade, Standard Grade, GCSE, GCE O Level, CSE, National Qualification Access 3 Cluster, Intermediate 1 or 2, National 4 or 5, Senior Certificate or equivalent |
229 |
45.4% |
| GNVQ/GSVQ Foundation or Intermediate, SVQ Level 1 or 2, SCOTVEC/National Certificate Module, City and Guilds Craft, RSA Diploma or equivalent |
35 |
6.9% |
| Higher Grade, Advanced Higher, CSYS, A Level, AS Level, Advanced Senior Certificate or equivalent |
232 |
46.0% |
| GNVQ/GSVQ Advanced, SVQ Level 3, ONC, OND, SCOTVEC National Diploma, City and Guilds Advanced Craft, RSA Advanced Diploma or equivalent |
20 |
4.0% |
| HNC, HND, SVQ Level 4, RSA Higher Diploma or equivalent |
63 |
12.5% |
| First Degree, Higher Degree, SVQ Level 5 or equivalent |
354 |
70.2% |
| Professional qualifications e.g. teaching, accountancy |
190 |
37.7% |
| Other school examinations not already mentioned |
13 |
2.6% |
| Other post-school but pre Higher education examinations not already mentioned |
9 |
1.8% |
| Other Higher education qualifications not already mentioned |
113 |
22.4% |
| No qualifications |
7 |
1.4% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered |
6 |
1.2% |
