Transition to where and to what? Exploring the experiences of transitions to adulthood for young disabled people

Pearson, C. , Watson, N. , Gangneux, J. and Norberg, I. (2021) Transition to where and to what? Exploring the experiences of transitions to adulthood for young disabled people. Journal of Youth Studies, 24(10), pp. 1291-1307. (doi: 10.1080/13676261.2020.1820972)

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Abstract

Transition to adulthood for young disabled people remains a major policy failure across OECD countries. The support available is often inappropriate, fails to meet young peoples’ needs and they fall through the cracks, becoming lost in the system. Much of the work on transition takes a narrow approach, focussing on the shift from paediatric to adult services in health and social care. Drawing on interviews with young disabled people, collected as part of an evaluation of a new cash-based transitions fund, we explore transitions for young disabled people in Scotland. Like the wider personalisation agenda, this fund aims to promote autonomy and individual responsibility. We examine and critique this approach and argue that while the emphasis on young people and their families as social entrepreneurs can facilitate transition, it can also act as a barrier by failing to tackle broader structural constraints faced by young disabled people. We argue that whilst it is important to promote individual agency, structural disadvantage and inequality frame the transition process and these also have to be tackled. This is harder, and arguably more expensive, but without it there is a danger that attempts to improve transition for young disabled people will fail.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:Funding: This work was supported by Scottish Government.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Gangneux, Dr Justine and Watson, Professor Nicholas and Norberg, Dr Ida and Pearson, Dr Charlotte
Authors: Pearson, C., Watson, N., Gangneux, J., and Norberg, I.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Social Scientists working in Health and Wellbeing
College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
Journal Name:Journal of Youth Studies
Publisher:Taylor and Francis
ISSN:1367-6261
ISSN (Online):1469-9680
Published Online:17 September 2020
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2020 The Author(s)
First Published:First published in Journal of Youth Studies 24(10): 1291-1307
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

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