The Office for Disability Issues has produced a Community Data Toolkit, which aims to provide in one place everything disability groups and other grassroots organisations need to know about how to analyse and interpret data.

The document provides an overview of what constitutes data, the types of data available and advice is given on how the different data types should be evaluated. Links to websites run by key data providers, including the Office for National Statistics, are also provided.

There are three main chapters to the document:

Chapter 1 describes what data is and how data can be used (for example, to understand a problem) to help answer questions about what is happening and why. This chapter also explains different types of data and where they come from.

Chapter 2 shows what data is available across eight key themes (disability, education, employment, income, health and wellbeing, transport, housing and other disability data), where it can be found and gives examples of use.

Chapter 3 shows how data can be used and what information it can reveal. This section also explains some of the problems that can happen when using data incorrectly, and some of the ‘rules’ that need to be obeyed.

Download at odi.dwp.gov.uk/fulfilling-potential/toolkit.php