The Scope Outcomes Project – plain language statement

Information for people with a disability and their proxies

Please read this document before you begin the survey. You may also like to print a copy for reference later and discuss it with a friend or relative.

About the Scope Outcomes Project

People with a disability, over the age of 18 years, are invited to complete online surveys at Alternatively, you may have received this information because a family member, or person you support, was invited to participate in the research and require your assistance.

The Scope Outcomes Project is a research project aimed at trialling surveys that have been developed. To help us achieve this, we need people with a wide range of disabilities to complete the surveys so we can test if the surveys work well.

There are two surveys being tested. If you agree to participate, you will be randomly assigned one of the two surveys. One survey is about how included you feel. By this we mean having the opportunity and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural activities, and means being included in a society where we feel valued, differences are respected and our basic needs are met.

The other survey is about disability support. If you are assigned this survey, you will be asked to choose a disability service you use and rate the impact it has had on your life.

You will be asked to complete two versions of the same survey (Easy and standard English) so the surveys may appear repetitive. This helps us to test the survey.

The surveys will take either 20 or 30 minutes to complete, depending on which survey you are allocated.

You may like to ask someone to help you complete the survey. This should be someone you are happy to share your answers with and who knows you well (e.g., has known you for at least 6 months).

Please contact the researchers if you prefer to complete a paper copy of the surveys.

This is a Scope project, and only the Scope researchers will see and use the information collected.

Participation is voluntary and anonymous. Whether you choose to complete the survey or not, will in no way impact on your relationship with Scope or any other disability service you may use. If you decide to participate and then change your mind while doing the survey, you can stop at any time. You cannot withdraw once you have submitted the survey.

By completing a survey, you consent to your responses being used in our research.

Your privacy

The survey is anonymous. You cannot be identified and nobody will know you have taken part in the survey unless you tell them.

The information you provide will only be used for the purposes of this project. Survey information will be stored on a computer file at Scope. No personal identifiable information will be kept on the database.

Only the Scope research team on the Scope Outcomes Project will have access to the survey. The data will be stored for five years at Scope before being destroyed.

You may be invited to complete other surveys. It is your choice if you participate in this or other surveys.

Risks

It is possible that answering the survey may make you feel frustrated and angry at the difficulties you may experience in life. If answering the questions causes you distress, please do not continue with the survey. You may wish to contact your doctor for a referral to a counsellor.

Benefits

On completion of this project, Scope will promote these surveys to organisations providing disability services and the government to measure the experiences of social inclusion and the impact of disability services in the future. This has long term positive benefits to everyone with a disability in Australia by highlighting areas requiring attention and areas that are improving. In sharing the tools, it is possible that Scope may benefit financially.

The results

A summary of results of the research will be available to participants at the end of the project. You may contact the Scope research office to ask for a copy of results to be posted or emailed to you. Results will be used to write reports and present conference papers.

No individual will be identified in the presentation of results.

Research contacts

The Scope Outcomes Project is conducted by Scope (Vic) Ltd. It is funded by The Trust Company as Trustee Fred P Archer Charitable Trust and The Anna White Trust.

If you would like further information about the project or have any problems with the survey, including feeling distressed or upset, you can contact the researchers. The contact details are:

Dr Stella Koritsas
Head of Strategic Research
Scope
PO Box 608
Box Hill Vic 3128
Telephone: 03 9843 2065
Email: / Dr Nick Hagiliassis
Manager, Evaluation and Practice Enhancement
Scope
PO Box 608
Box Hill Vic 3128
Telephone: 03 8311 4013
Email:

Other Scope researchers may be employed to work on the project. We will receive ethics approval for these researchers.

Complaints contacts

If you have any complaints about anything to do with the project, the way it is being conducted or any questions about your rights as a research participant, you can contact:

Megan Thompson

Secretary

Scope Human Research Ethics Committee

Scope (Vic) Ltd

830 Whitehorse Road

Box Hill Vic 3128

Email:

Telephone: 03 9843 2026

Please quote project number Scope 75/14 in your contact.

This project has been approved by the Scope ethics committee.

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