Introduction

This book explores the ways in which people with learning difficulties experience the Learning Society, drawing on work conducted as part of the Research Programme The Learning Society: Knowledge and skills for employment which was funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council between 1995 and 2000. A central aim of the programme was to understand the diverse constructions of a Learning Society and the implications of placing lifelong learning at the heart of social policy. Our project, entitled The meaning of the Learning Society for adults with learning difficulties, explored the range of education, training and employment opportunities available to people with learning difficulties. Our concern was not only to understand the contexts and experiences of this significant minority but also, through the analysis of the group specifically marginalised in a Learning Society, to understand the nature of that type of society more generally.

The research was carried out in two main phases. Phase One was a study of education, training and employment opportunities for people with learning difficulties in Scotland. Documentary analysis of policy texts was carried out and key informant interviews conducted with representatives of a range of agencies (see Riddell et al, 1997a for a report of this phase of the work). The interviews were carried out, mainly by telephone, in late 1996 and early 1997, hard on the heels of regional reorganisation in Scotland, which created 32 unitary local authorities, each with education and social work functions, in place of the 12 regional authorities. Eight authorities were reluctant to be interviewed because they felt that their policies were still in a state of flux. In addition, six of the 22 Local Enterprise Companies declined to be interviewed because they felt that their policies in relation to people with learning difficulties were insufficiently developed. Interviews were also carried out with informants from Further Education (FE), the Employment Service, Careers Service and the Scottish Office (Inspectors of Social Work and Education). Interviews with ten user and voluntary organisations were also conducted. These organisations were selected to reflect a range of service provision and practice with regard to service planning. In particular, People First Scotland is an organisation of disabled people and AccessAbility describes itself as ‘disability-led’. The aim here was to understand the perspective of user organisations rather than that of professionals.