The Education And Employment Of Disabled Young People

Improving educational attainment and raising employment rates among disadvantaged groups are key targets for the current government. This report shows that for one important group - disabled young people - these goals are far from being achieved. The report analyses nationally representative data to show that parental background is more important than disability status in shaping young people's aspirations; despite high aspirations, educational and occupational outcomes are significantly worse for disabled young people and the gap between disabled and non-disabled young people's experiences widens as they get older. The report argues that while mainstream and comprehensive education may have succeeded in raising aspirations for disabled young people, this has not been translated into real opportunities in early adult life. It also highlights the need for a new direction in careers advice and welfare to work programmes. Frustrated ambition: The education and employment of disabled young people is essential reading for academics, policymakers and practitioners with an interest in the role aspirations play in education and employment.

This book examines the transition of young adults with disabilities from school to tertiary education and work.

This book examines the transition of young adults with disabilities from school to tertiary education and work.

The book describes how education in particular helps make persons with disabilities achieve economic independence and social inclusion.

Despite major structural changes in the labour market in the 1980s, young people with severe disabilities must be included in open and supported employment within the community. Improved education and training facilities for young people with disabilities have contributed to this goal of maximising employment opportunities. This publication gives examples of good practice in Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States providing an important basis on which to plan the development of transitional arrangements for all young people.

Young adulthood - ages approximately 18 to 26 - is a critical period of development with long-lasting implications for a person's economic security, health and well-being. Young adults are key contributors to the nation's workforce and military services and, since many are parents, to the healthy development of the next generation. Although 'millennials' have received attention in the popular media in recent years, young adults are too rarely treated as a distinct population in policy, programs, and research. Instead, they are often grouped with adolescents or, more often, with all adults. Currently, the nation is experiencing economic restructuring, widening inequality, a rapidly rising ratio of older adults, and an increasingly diverse population. The possible transformative effects of these features make focus on young adults especially important. A systematic approach to understanding and responding to the unique circumstances and needs of today's young adults can help to pave the way to a more productive and equitable tomorrow for young adults in particular and our society at large. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults describes what is meant by the term young adulthood, who young adults are, what they are doing, and what they need. This study recommends actions that nonprofit programs and federal, state, and local agencies can take to help young adults make a successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. According to this report, young adults should be considered as a separate group from adolescents and older adults. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults makes the case that increased efforts to improve high school and college graduate rates and education and workforce development systems that are more closely tied to high-demand economic sectors will help this age group achieve greater opportunity and success. The report also discusses the health status of young adults and makes recommendations to develop evidence-based practices for young adults for medical and behavioral health, including preventions. What happens during the young adult years has profound implications for the rest of the life course, and the stability and progress of society at large depends on how any cohort of young adults fares as a whole. Investing in The Health and Well-Being of Young Adults will provide a roadmap to improving outcomes for this age group as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Recent policies and government initiatives in many Western countries have strengthened the expectation that young disabled people have the right to be involved in decisions affecting their futures. Many of the choices that are currently taken out of young disabled people’s hands, including those relating to education and future employment, are now being viewed as an opportunity to encourage participation in the decision making process. Sonali Shah uses a comparative study of young disabled students within mainstream and special education to determine the influence these recent policies will have on the realization of their long term goals. Young Disabled People: Aspirations, Choices and Constraints will be essential reading for academics in the fields of education, disability studies and employment policy. It will also be valuable to policy makers and teaching and careers professionals.