Youth South Asians with learning disabilities: still socially excluded?

This paper report on a study undertaken in Glasgow of young South Asian people with learning disabilities and their carers, and explores the extent to which they are socially excluded. Although there is an increasing political emphasis on the inclusion of people with learning disabilities, the families concerned continue to experience isolation, both socially and in terms of service provision. Access to service is often problematic, because of linguistic and cultural barriers and families appear to be reluctant to use day centres. Young people with learning disabilities themselves feel stigmatised, while carers are in need of support, and also apprehensive as to the future care of their children. Although government is promoting a range of relevant initiatives, young South Asians with learning disabilities continue to be an excluded group.