Disability and Transition to Adulthood: The Politics of Parenting

In: Critical social policy: a journal of theory and practice in social welfare, Band 24, Heft 2, S. 165-186

Abstract

What enables young people with significant impairments to make the transition to adulthood? Becoming householders, finding work, becoming parents, feeling included as citizens: these are all more challenging in the context of housing needs, a discriminatory labour market, the need for personal assistance and transport. Our study interviewed a group of 31 young adults in receipt of disability living allowance, who had jobs and independent households, and smaller comparative groups, who had one or neither of these. We explored disabled people's own accounts of adulthood and what had facilitated their achievement of jobs and independent living. Education, family, employment, personal assistance, housing, benefits and welfare services were on our agenda, but respondents' own accounts are of 'exceptional' parents as the key.However, not everyone can have exceptional parents. We discuss the politics and economics of parenthood that prevailed while our respondents grew up, when parental responsibilities were extended and parental resources reduced. And we ask how much the politics of parenthood under New Labour offers to families with disabled children.