ABSTRACT
Disabled young people represent a significant proportion of those who find themselves excluded at an early age, and are likely to experience social marginalization throughout their lives. It has therefore become a policy priority to identify who they are, the nature of the exclusion they experience, in particular at various transition points, and what action is needed to support inclusion. As with many social policy issues, much depends on how ‘the problem’ is constructed and, in particular, the understandings of disability, exclusion and transition which are employed. In this chapter, current thinking in relation to these central concepts is explored and placed in a wider historical context. Evidence is drawn from recent research to illustrate the complex nature of the social categories employed and the diversity of experiences of young disabled people.
