ⓘ SEND stands for “Special Educational Needs and Disabilities”
SEND education
SEND education: the current landscape
Disabled young people are significantly less likely to be in employment. The statistics are clear:
- only 50% of disabled adults are in paid work, compared to nearly 80% of non-disabled adults;
- only 32% of autistic adults are in paid work, falling to 16% for full-time work;
- only 5.7% of supported adults with a learning disability in England are in paid work, a figure which has been falling for the last 3 years.
Sadly, these statistics show that current approaches to 16-19 education are failing to prepare many disabled young people for work and independent living.
What needs to change
We believe that post-16 education and support for disabled young people needs to change urgently in order to close the “disability employment gap” and to enable them to thrive in later life.
Our work with disabled young people helps them to develop essential skills, attitudes, and opportunities to increase their personal aspirations and life chances. This prepares them for entering the world of work and for living as independently as possible. With this preparation they could lead more fulfilled, healthy and stimulating lives – ones they choose for themselves – until they retire, and beyond.