Suchergebnisse

Increasing children's and young people's participation in decisions, about their own care and about service development, is a policy priority. Although in general participation is increasing, disabled children are less likely to be involved than non‐disabled children and it is unclear to what extent children with complex needs or communication impairments are being included in participation activities. This article presents research exploring factors to support good practice in participation and discusses policy and practice implications.

This editorial introduces a thematic issue of Social Inclusion focusing on disabled people and the intersectional nature of social inclusion. This thematic issue includes transnational and transdisciplinary studies and expressions of lived experiences facing disabled people, their families, and allies across the globe from a social, human rights, and/or disability justice perspective. The articles comprising this issue include an explicit recognition and discussion of intertwined and socially constructed identities, labels, power, and privilege as explicated by pioneering Black feminists who introduced the concept of intersectionality. Taken together, the articles within this issue identify and articulate the powerful ideological forces and subsequent policies and practices working against transformational action. As such, we are not calling for the inclusion of disabled people into society as it is today - wrought with social, economic, and environmental crises. Rather, we seek a transformation of the status quo whereby disabled people are respected as an inherent part of human diversity with gifts and worthiness untangled from a capitalist and colonial system of exploitation, extraction, and oppression. This means that achieving social justice and inclusion requires radically reordering our economic and political systems. This thematic issue illuminates the impacts and root causes of exclusion to foment critical thinking about the possibilities for social inclusion from the perspective of those who are marginalized by the status quo.

Social justice is a policy aim of the UK Labour government. This paper considers the applicability of the concept to disability, seeking to establish principles for conceptualising social justice and disability and considering the nature of the challenges for public policy and society posed by this conceptualisation. The paper considers how disability is implicated in two types of claims about the source of social injustice: those concerned with socially constructed differences between people; and those arising from material inequalities. Appropriate values underpinning alternative conceptions of social justice are discussed and tensions in policymaking considered.

Support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of mine victims and disabled people provided through the Child Protection Programme is well targeted and guided by an appropriately informed and considered strategy. The choice of projects covers several of the Programme's key focal areas including health and education, policy and mainstreaming of disability into humanitarian responses. Current partners provide the program good geographic coverage, effective use of existing resources and constructive engagement of government and community stakeholders. There is ample evidence that support from UNICEF's Child Protection Programme has played a significant role in reducing discrimination and promoting the full development and inclusion of children with disabilities. Based on the findings of the evaluation, there does not appear to be any need for major shift in the direction of programming; rather refinement of existing strategies and adjustments in the way the Child Protection Programme works with other programs and supported partners. The evaluation recommends the Programme adopt a series of guiding principles and indicative strategies that will not only help better define its strategic framework, but provide clearer guidance to potential partners as to what is expected in terms of project design. Equally, resolving issues with how country level programming is translated into complementary and coordinated responses on the ground will significantly enhance program impact and achievement of UNICEF's Child Protection Programme stated objectives. Over the next three to five years the program should focus on refining and further systematizing current strategies. It should also continue to fund partner efforts to build district and community level capacity and complete the transition of project activities to local players. As these transitions progress, levels of support needed by existing partners should decrease, allowing the Child Protection Programme to engage new projects. Most of the change required therefore rests in the Programme adopting a more strategic focus in the support it offers partners, arguing for greater flexibility in funding, and for the immediate future maintaining adequate levels of funding to current partners in order to achieve the successful evolution and localization of existing projects.

"Working futures" looks at the current effectiveness and future scope for enabling policy in the field of disability and employment. By addressing the current strengths and weaknesses of disability and employment policy, the book asks: Is the dichotomy of 'work for those who can and support for those who cannot' appropriate to the lives of disabled people? Does current and recent policy reduce or reinforce barriers to paid employment? What lessons from other welfare regimes can we draw on to further disabled peoples' working futures? The book is original in bringing together a wide range of policy insights to bear on the question of disabled peoples working futures. It includes analyses of recent policy initiatives as diverse as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Draft Disability Bill, the benefits system, New Deal for Disabled People, job retention policy, comparative disability policy, the role of the voluntary sector, and 'new policies for a new workplace'. Contributions from academics, NGOs, the OECD and the disabled peoples' movement bring multiple theoretical, professional and user perspectives to the debates at the heart of the book. "Working Futures" is aimed at academics and students in disability studies, policy and welfare studies and those working in the voluntary sector, employment organisations and at street-level with disabled people.