A new project examining the participation of disabled children and young people in services and matters which affect them is being fronted by the charity the National Children’s Bureau (NCB).
While recent policy encouraging children and young people to get involved in matters affecting their lives has increased participation in the services they use, the participation of children and young people with disabilities has not increased proportionately.
The three year project is supported by the Big Lottery Fund and will be conducted in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children (CDC), the Alliance for Inclusive Education and the Children’s Society. It will look at how to involve disabled children and young people in developing services and the ways in which they would prefer to be involved. The study will involve disabled people in the research process, as young researchers and advisors, and will consult widely with organisations active in the field to uncover best practice. The aim is to produce practical toolkits which can be used by organisations and disabled young people themselves.
Helen Wheatley of CDC commented: “The project will realise good practices which support disabled children and young people to participate in strategic developments in their local areas and consider how examples of effective practice can be embedded within common practice.”
