Social exclusion and young disabled people with high levels of support needs

Abstract

There are significant differences between the concept of social exclusion adopted by the mainstream policy agenda and what social exclusion means to young disabled people, particularly those with high levels of support needs. Currently, the experiences and concerns of this group are not being heard in the arenas where policies are developed. The silence about their experiences masks an assumption that, to have high levels of support needs, means dependency and exclusion are inevitable. It is unlikely, therefore, that current initiatives to tackle social exclusion will address the experiences of these young disabled people as they grow into adulthood. In contrast, a human rights agenda offers greater opportunities to challenge the way young disabled people with high levels of support needs are ‘shut out’ from society.