Life Opportunities Survey, 2009-2014: Secure Access

The <i>Life Opportunities Survey</i> (LOS) was a large scale longitudinal survey of disability in Great Britain, which ran from 2009-2014. It was the first major ONS social survey to explore disability in terms of the social barriers to participation that people experience. The survey compared the experiences of disabled people with those of non-disabled people. Prior to the LOS, various surveys of disability had been carried out. The LOS aimed to meet the following long term information needs on experiences of disabled people living in Great Britain:<ul><li>dynamics of disability over time, including the factors associated with transitions and onsets of impairment</li><li>social participation by disabled people </li><li>up-to-date prevalence rates of impairments</li></ul>The LOS was set up to track the experiences of disabled people over time to assess transitions through key life stages, such as moving from childhood to adulthood or in and out of work. The longitudinal design enabled three distinct groups to be followed over time:<ul><li>a disabled group</li><li>a comparison group of non-disabled people</li><li>a larger non-disabled group, monitored for the onset of impairment over time</li></ul>Respondents were interviewed every 12 months, whether they were resident in the original household or had since moved. Following the baseline survey only the first two groups were interviewed face-to-face. The third group were monitored over time via a shorter telephone interview to check for the onset of an impairment. If any member of the household had experienced the onset of impairment, they were invited to take part in a face to face interview. Further information about the LOS series is available from the ONS <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/qmis/lifeopportunitiessurveyqmi" title ="Life Opportunities Survey">Life Opportunities Survey</a> webpage.<br>
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<b>End User Licence and Secure Access LOS data:</b><br>
Two versions of the LOS are held by the UK Data Service. One is available under the standard End User Licence (EUL) agreement, and the other is a Secure Access version (this replaces the previous Special Licence version held under SN 6654, which is no longer available). The differences are as follows:<ul><li>The EUL version does not contain geographic variables, and age is top-coded at 80. <b>Users are strongly advised to check whether the EUL dataset (SN 6653) is sufficient for their needs before making an application for the Secure Access data.</b></li><li>The Secure Access version contains geographic variables (Country, Government Office Region and Local Authority), deciles, age bands, a rural/urban indicator, and more information on household relationships, country of previous residence, medical conditions and occupations. The Secure Access version has more restrictive access conditions than those made available under the standard EUL. Prospective users will need to fulfil additional requirements, including completion of face-to-face training and agreement to Secure Access' User Agreement and Breaches Penalties Policy, in order to obtain permission to use that version (see 'Access' section below).</li></ul> The main End User Licence version of the Life Opportunities Survey is held under SN 6653.<br>
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