Young People with Cognitive Disability in Transition to Adulthood: Stories of Survival and Aspiration in the Face of Adversity

This book presents the lived experiences of young people with cognitive disability and their struggles as they transition to adulthood. Whether you are a young person yourself looking to transition to adulthood, a parent, or a professional supporting a young person, this book will help you understand the systemic failures which have caused abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence. But it will also outline the inner and outer resources which have enabled young people to maintain their self-belief and overcome adversity. Despite the fact society is failing these young people, the young people in this book speak of belief and have hope for the future. Drawing upon the United Nations human rights framework, this book provides a narrative for empowerment and reform. It involves the input of co-researchers with disability and includes Easy English summaries in each chapter to ensure its accessibility to young people with cognitive disability.

Dr Kathy Ellem is a scholar, social worker, and disability advocate. Her interest in the disability sector has stemmed from her personal experience as a parent of a young man with cognitive disability. She values working inclusively with people with cognitive disability in research and social work practice.

Dr Paul Harpur is a Professor with the TC Beirne School of Law, the University of Queensland, an Associate with the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, and ARC Future Fellow, Paralympian, Fulbright Scholar, and is a Member of the Order of Australia 'for service to people with disability'.

Dr Fotini Hardy is a social worker, scholar, and researcher. Fotini's interest in the disability sector stems from her experiences with the disability rights movement in the 80's, sparking her ongoing commitment for a more just society that recognises the human rights of everyone.

Professor Michael Ashley Stein is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, and a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School since 2005. He is considered one of the world's leading disability law and policy experts.

Dr. Ann Fudge Schormans is a critical disability scholar and researcher. Her teaching and research are informed by many years of social work practice, her experiences parenting two daughters with intellectual disability, and her engagements with people with intellectual disabilities in inclusive research and knowledge production.