ABSTRACT
In any examination of the development of a more inclusive society there is inevitably a need to focus not only on the individual but also on the infrastructures, which support the individual in society. In terms of education, such infrastructures include the context of schooling as well as the mechanisms which facilitate the process of education itself. In recent years, central government has played an increasing part in moulding both the context and the process of education. This overt involvement in education by government has, in many instances, triggered a reaction from the voluntary sector. The voluntary sector has always played an important role in providing a counterbalance to state control. Successive governments have recognized the need for an active voluntary sector and have encouraged (if not always valued) its intervention in support of minority need or alternative forms of policy and provision. In the field of education, children with special needs have, therefore, traditionally been a focus for voluntary sector involvement.
