The Educational Pathways and Work Outcomes of Disabled Young People in England Project at the University of Warwick is looking for Year 11 students with autism, cerebral palsy or dyslexia to take part in a three-year research project.
Its aim is to explore the factors that lead to disability inequalities in educational and occupational attainment in England.
There is increasing awareness surrounding the social barriers that prevent disabled young people from fulfilling their potential. Yet, the vast majority of existing research relies on information provided by parents and teachers. Disabled young people are rarely given a voice in research. This is due to long-standing assumptions about the ability of young people to take part in research studies and discuss their conditions/disabilities.
The project challenges this assumption. It wants to hear young people’s views about their experiences of disability and schooling, and their plans and aspirations for the future. We aim to interview 60 young people twice over the course of our study. The first wave of (online) interviews will take place between April-August 2021, and the second wave approximately one year later.
The study focuses on students in mainstream schools. It is looking for Year 11 students with autism, dyslexia, and/or cerebral palsy. While it would love to be able to include students with other conditions and learning difficulties in the study, the nature of the research means that it can only focus on these three groups for the time being.
All interviews will be tailored to the individual needs and preferences of participants and their families. For each completed interview, participants will receive a £20 Love-to-Shop voucher.
To take part or find out more, please get in touch with Dr Angharad Butler-Rees at disabled.transitions@warwick.ac.uk.