Are any parents of disabled children accessing or trying to access direct payments for their disabled child? Scope, the national disability organisation, is planning to conduct a piece of research to identify the strengths, weaknesses and barriers to accessing direct payments from the perspective of disabled people. Direct payments are cash payments made by local authorities to individuals who have been assessed as having eligible needs. They are an alternative to direct services and give disabled people the opportunity to arrange and manage their own support, thus enhancing choice and control. We will be looking for participants until early April 2003. If you are in receipt of direct payments or have experienced difficulties in accessing direct payments and would like to take part in the research please contact me. It may not be possible for everyone shows an interest to be interviewed, but everyone who expresses an interest will be sent a copy of the final report. For more information or to provide contact details of a volunteer, please contact Michelle Perera on 020 7619 7256 or email michelle.perera@scope.org.uk

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2003