Call for Articles: Post school transitions for young people with disabilities

Guest Editors: Dr. Beth Hannah; Dr. Geraldine Scanlon; Professor Divya Jindal Snape; Professor Daniel Mays and Professor Iva Strnadová

Abstract deadline: 29th August 2022
Submission deadline: 16th October 2022

[dates updated - 17 June 2022]

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) articles have established a radical new ground on which to build inclusive policies for all people to access appropriate education and training regardless of ability. The Convention recognises the concept of disability as historically constructed and borne of individualistic construals of ability rather than in “the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (Article 1).

Transition is a deceptively simple concept. In its everyday guise, it defines any process of change from one state to another, or the move from one setting to the next. Transitions are an inherent feature of lifespan development, as all individuals experience distinct turning points, ideally followed by adjustment and stabilisation. Transition is a subjective experience and for vulnerable young people leaving school may be experienced as “a change in self-identity born out of uncertainty in the social and cultural worlds of the individual” (Crafter & Maunder, 2012, p. 10). For parents too, the end of formal education brings new uncertainties and worries, so access to timely and accurate information about future options, is essential. However, international research suggests that post-school options for students with disabilites can be somewhat limited and that young people rarely take an active role in planning for life after school (e.g. Ward et al, 2003).

Conceptually, transition planning for people with disabilites is a longitudinal strategy in which early implementation is vital, thus this process should begin in high school and continue until after the transition to post-school destinations. Where needs are more complex, planning should begin in the early years of primary school. Successful transition from compulsory education to lifelong learning and employment opportunities requires strategies that support parents to encourage the aspirations of their children and ensure that students with disabilities have access to as broad a range of choices in education, training and employment as possible. Building on educational qualifications, personal aspirations and societal expectations, being in employment is seen as the principal marker of transition to adulthood and the primary driver of economic success in the developed world.

Key questions which articles could address include:

• How are the inherent features of lifespan development constructed for people with disabilites?
• What are the implications of the UNCRPD for planning for transition for people with disabilites moving to further education and employment?
• How are students with disabilites supported when moving from compulsory education to Further Education - Higher Education -Vocational Training - Employment?
• What are the essential components of transition and educational programmes that enable students with disabilities to make an autonomous choice about their own futures?
• What programmes facilitate the move to independent living?
• What are the enablers and barriers to a seamless transition from compulsory education to Further Education – Higher Education – Vocational Training - Employment for young people with disabilities?
• What are the key policies and legislation underpinning post-school transitions practices for people with disabilities?
• What are the roles of professionals, services and agencies (e.g. education, health and social care, careers, employers, third sector) in developing and supporting post-school transition practices for people with disabilities?

We welcome contributions from authors from different disciplines and sectors. We are especially interested in collaborative research involving young people and families, academics, professionals, and policy makers. Articles could be based on literature reviews, empirical studies, analysis of key policies/legislation, or secondary data analysis, using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method designs.

Submitted articles should comply with the journal author guidelines and submission procedures. The articles can take various forms, for example, texts, multi-media.

Please submit your abstracts to e.hannah@dundee.ac.uk and geraldine.scanlon@dcu.ie by 14th June. Should your abstract be selected, you will be asked to submit the full article by 30th July, where it will undergo peer review.