ABSTRACT
This is the introduction to the second edition of two books aimed at people with an interest in issues of equality, participation and inclusion for children and young people. The fi rst editions were rooted in inclusive education and had a primary focus upon the experiences of disabled people in educational contexts. The second edition has broadened its focus to consider a greater diversity of perspectives and contexts, whilst maintaining those emphases from the fi rst edition. This shift refl ects a belief we tried to capture in the opening image of the last introduction:
What are we looking at? There is a nearly empty mug of coffee on the desk. If you were to look and notice it, you would probably think, ‘That’s a nearly empty mug of coffee on the desk’. If you were to move your head a few millimetres and look again you would probably think the same thing. But what if you were painting a picture of that mug? Maybe, you’d think about the light refl ecting off its surface … after all, it is shiny. And what if you were allowed to drink only one cup of coffee a day? Maybe, you’d look at that mug and have a pang of disappointment that it was nearly empty, ignoring its ‘mug’ nature altogether. And how about if you couldn’t see with your eyes but used your fi ngers instead? Would you know how much coffee was in it just from its outside? However simple something seems, it will always appear different if you approach it from a different angle.
