A Struggle for Choice : Students with Special Needs in Transition to Adulthood

For disabled people and people with learning difficulties the transition from school to college, work and training can be stressful and frustrating. Job choices are often restricted, and they face barriers which are beyond their control. This book is about their struggle for choice, setting special needs in further education in a socio-political context. The book focuses on the notion of "transition to adulthood" for students with special educational needs, exploring it in terms of class, race, gender and disability differences and relating it to social, economic and political influences. The book analyzes employment opportunities, education and training choices and possible degrees of community participation, addressing the problems encountered by both students and those staff who support them. Its distinctive approach recognizes discrimination and challenges stereotyping. The book is intended to confront complacency, encourage dialogue and debate and suggests ways forward in what the authors perceive is a difficult struggle for choice. Each chapter includes a set of questions which can be used as the basis for discussion.