Conference Highlights the Importance of Awareness and Social Supports in Improving the Lives of People with Disabilities in Ireland

The conference, Disability Through the Lifecourse, brings together ESRI research which deals with a range of topics that are hugely relevant to the development of disability policy, including children with disabilities, disability, work and adulthood, mental health and costs of disability. The research highlights the barriers to inclusion for children and adults with disabilities in Ireland within education, the labour market and adult life. Professor Sheila Riddell (Professor of Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh) will give the keynote address at the conference, presenting research on social class, disability and gender. Some of the key findings to be presented include: Children with disabilities - Children with special educational needs are more likely to report not liking school than their peers and they have fewer friends and more negative peer relations. Disability, work and adulthood - The labour market participation of people with disabilities appears low in Ireland by European standards. Disability and mental health - Research on disability and mental health highlights the importance of social supports in enabling people with mental health difficulty to participate to the maximum extent in work and social life. Costs of disability - The costs of disability vary by severity of disability, condition and number of disabled persons per household.