Involving disabled children and young people in research and consultations: issues, challenges and opportunities

Abstract

This chapter focuses on disabled children and young people. It is highly reflective, designed to take stock of ‘where we are at’ in terms of engaging disabled children and young people — a group with a long history of exclusion — in consultations about public services, as well as in the design and implementation of social research. It develops the case on why to involve disabled children and young people. It reveals that one important reason is that research demonstrates that the views and concerns of children and young people often differ from those of their carers. It reviews the evidence of what works best in terms of both how to consult with this group on the services they receive, as well as how to involve disabled children and young people in the research process.