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People living with a disability - Data

Consultations

Impact Assessments

Data

Physical disability

Under the Equality Act 2010 a physical disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. 

  • 9.7% of people in Midlothian self-identified as living with a long-term health problem or disability that limits their day-to-day activity a lot, and has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months (2022 Census). This is below the Scotland percentage of 10.8%.
  • 526 adults (18 and over) have a physical disability who require support and receive a service from adult and social care in Midlothian (2025).
  • 7,060 adults in Midlothian have a blue badge (2025, Midlothian Council).

There is 1 registered care home in Midlothian to support adults with a physical disability and 1 care home in Edinburgh which supports a number of Midlothian residents (Midlothian Council, 2023).

There is no dedicated respite facility.

 

Learning disability

As life expectancy has increased, more people with learning disabilities are experiencing multi-morbidities and increased complexity in their health and social care needs. People with learning disabilities die, on average, 20 years earlier than people in the general population, often from causes that could be prevented or treated (Scottish Learning Disability Observatory, 2023) Intellectual disability and ageing

  • 391 people have a learning disability and require support and receive a service from adult and social care in Midlothian (2025 Midlothian Council data).
  • 6.3 per 1,000 adults with a Learning Disability are known to Social Care in Midlothian (2019, Scottish Commission for Learning Disability). This is higher than the Scottish average. 
  • 4 per 100,000 people in Midlothian are in the 'urgent' category on the Dynamic Support Register (2025). This is a record of adults who have complex care needs and a learning disability who are currently in hospital, in an out of area placement or at risk of breakdown of current support arrangements who require significantly higher levels of input and coordination from a range of skilled professionals within health and social care.
  • 36 14-18 year olds in Midlothian are transitioning between children and adult services and have significant support needs (2025). They will require highly specialist social work funded services, the majority with a minimum of 1:1 support. Some also require specialist provisions or a bespoke package where there needs cannot be met by existing services. There is an expectation that this number may increase, as the population of Midlothian grows, and more families move to Midlothian.
  • 53.2% of adults with learning disabilities in Midlothian live in mainstream accommodation without support (Scottish Commission for Learning Disability, 2019). This is greater than in Scotland where it was only 43.1%. 

Autism Spectrum Disorders

  • Approximately 1,012 people in Midlothian have an autism diagnosis, based on a prevalence rate or 103 per 10,000 people (Rate estimated by Scottish Government 2018, Population estimated by National Records of Scotland). 

There is a high frequency of mental health problems experienced across the autism spectrum, particularly in relation to anxiety and depression (Scottish Learning Disability Observatory, 2023). Other common conditions which are known to concur with ASD, include epilepsy, attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s Syndrome.

Sensory Impairment

Sensory impairment describes deafness, blindness, visual impairment, hearing impairment and deaf blindness. It is more common in the older age range and can be hidden for people who have had a stroke or live with dementia.

Hearing Loss

  • 1 in 6 people have a hearing loss 
  • 2,082 people in Midlothian use British Sign Language (Census 2022)
  • 6,709 people in Midlothian (7%) reported a hearing impairment (Census 2022). This is in line with the rest of Scotland. 

Hearing impaired adults with untreated hearing loss were more likely to report depression, anxiety, and paranoia and were less likely to participate in organized social activities, compared to those who wear hearing aids. 

 

Visual Impairment

  • 640 people are on the Royal National Institute of blind People Blind Register in Midlothian (315 as blind; 325 as partially sighted).
  • 1 in 30 people have significant sight loss  
  • 3,000 people are estimated to be living with sight loss in Midlothian (RNIB 2022). 
  • 2,267 people in Midlothian reported blindness or a partial visual impairment (2022 Census).
  • 30.4% of the Lothian population received an NHS eye test in 2023/24 (Public Health Scotland, 2024).
  • People with learning disabilities are 10 times more likely to have some degree of sight lost.

Page updated March 2026