Why are we failing young people with a disability?

5 November 2013 - Young Australians with a disability are five times more likely than their non-disabled peers to experience multiple disadvantages, including long term unemployment and social exclusion. The question of why we are failing young people with a disability will be explored at a free talk, part of the Sydney Ideas series hosted by the University of Sydney, at 6pm on Wednesday November 6. Professor Eric Emerson from the Centre for Disability Research and Policy , and John Della Bosca from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) , will debate what hinders progress in providing adequate services and support to this community. "Discrimination is a fact of life for adolescents and young adults with disabilities. It affects their health and wellbeing and significantly constrains their opportunities for participating in society," said Professor Emerson. "The personal and social costs of the resulting social exclusion are borne by the individual, their family and the wider community," he said. Since 2001 the gap between young Australians with disabilities and their peers has widened in areas such as wellbeing, mental health, employment, having a voice in the community and feeling safe, according to Left Behind 2013 , research recently published by the Centre for Disability Research and Policy.