The impact of disability transitions on social inclusion

As the extent of disability increases in society, there is an increasing need to understand its consequences for many aspects of social inclusion. Using the Living in Ireland Survey 1995-2001 (n = 2727 adults), we provide a rigorous analysis of the transitions into and out of disability and the related consequences for various characteristics of social inclusion. We compare the effect of onset, exit and persistent disability on household income and the probability of being in poverty. We also look at the impact on daily societal participation for individuals with varying durations of disability. Results show that people with disabilities have much lower levels of social inclusion and imply that related policy should focus on the heterogeneity of disabled people, depending on their respective transitions into disability and the duration of their disability. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.