Systematic barriers force young Disabled people out of education, employment and training

22 April 2026

On the 30th of January 2026, ALLFIE submitted its written evidence for the Department for Work and Pensions’ Young People and Work report. This evidence was based on ALLFIE’s many years of advocacy and campaigning work with young Disabled people, parents and education professionals. It demonstrated that systematic barriers force many young Disabled out of education, employment and training, reinforcing their economic, social, cultural, civil and political exclusion.

In particular, the evidence ALLFIE submitted highlighted that this exclusion is a direct result of systemic barriers that consistently disadvantage young Disabled people at every transition point. This includes:

• A mainstream education system that was designed without Disabled children and young people in mind and thus denies them equitable access to the curriculum and extra-curricular activities.
• Segregated education provisions which remove Disabled children and young people from their communities, denying them an opportunity to grow, learn and play alongside their non-disabled peers.
• Segregated post-16 provisions, such as residential colleges or life-skills courses, which do not engage young Disabled people in meaningful work or work-related skills training, thereby reinforcing stereotypical views of Disabled people and their exclusion from society.
• Apprenticeship programmes that exclude young Disabled people through disablist and ableist entrance criteria and a failure to provide reasonable adjustments.
• The non-transferability of EHC plans, compounded by systemic delays in securing reasonable adjustments and accessing support, which disadvantages Disabled students entering university, with some forced to drop out.

These systemic barriers, rooted in disablism, ableism and a failure to recognise intersectional experiences, disproportionately impact young Disabled people, more so Disabled individuals from the traveller community, Black/Global Majority backgrounds, and socially and economically under-resourced backgrounds.

Given the urgent need for alignment to international and domestic equality laws, ALLFIE recommends the following policy actions to address the systemic barriers outlined above:

• The government should formally commit to equity, equality, and the right to inclusive education for all Disabled people through the adoption and implementation of the principles set out in ALLFIE’s manifesto.
• The government should phase out all forms of segregated post-16 provision and secure equal access to mainstream post-16 education, employment, and training by guaranteeing reasonable adjustments for Disabled people.
• The government should invest in the long-term sustainability and capacity of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), recognising their essential role in employment, policy development, advocacy, and the provision of lived-experience expertise.

The above policy actions realise the UK’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), particularly Disabled people’s right to equality and non-discrimination (Article 5), education (Article 24), employment (Article 27), and to participate in political and public life (Articles 4 and 29). This in turn ensures that Disabled people realise their right to an adequate standard of living (Article 28) and to live independently and be included in the community (Article 19).

Under domestic law, these obligations are underpinned by the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments and the Public Sector Equality Duty to advance equality of opportunity. They are reinforced by the Education Act 1996 and the Children and Families Act 2014, which place duties on public bodies to support Disabled students and promote inclusion, alongside the Human Rights Act 1998’s protections against discrimination.

Since 2009, ALLFIE has campaigned against barriers faced by young Disabled people transitioning from school to employment. Despite this, young Disabled people continue to face structural and systemic barriers embedded across education, employment and training pathways. There is an urgent need to address these barriers to ensure that young Disabled people can access Inclusive Education, meaningful employment, and training opportunities on an equal basis with others, and to prevent their continued economic, social, and political exclusion. Without decisive action, existing inequalities will persist, undermining Disabled people’s rights, life chances, and full participation in society.