Social inclusion among young people with a disability
Peng Yu
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Contact Email:   Annemarie.Nicolfahcsia.gov.au

This paper examines social inclusion issues among young people with physical or developmental/learning disability using data collected from a cohort of 18-year-old youth. It explores differences in past experiences (school attainment and performance, and childhood happiness), present circumstances (participation in education/employment and social life), and future prospects (expected education and confidence about future) by the disability status of the youth.

Results show that after controlling for individual, family and contextual factors, young people with disability scored similarly to those without disability on most indicators of present circumstances and future prospects. As such, youth growing up with disability are not significantly disadvantaged when compared to their peers without disability, at least at the early transitional stage of life. However, youth with disability were more likely to have reported poor school attainment and performance, a troublesome and unhappy childhood, and poor current health. Since school attainment, school performance and health are significant influencing factors for most of the selected indicators for present circumstances and future prospects, they may serve as intermediate factors through which childhood/adolescent disabilities affect the development and wellbeing of people over time. The research also highlights the importance of parental engagement for young people with disability.

Paper Download Information (if available):

Copyright © 2009 Social Policy Research Centre.