New voices in Iceland young adults with disabilities in Iceland: The importance of relationships and natural supports

Abstract

This paper deals with young adults’ perspectives and experiences of growing up with a variety of impairments in Iceland, and how they impact the young disabled adults’ approach to the status of adulthood. The paper is based on a qualitative study that explored perspectives and experiences of 36 young disabled adults (16–24 years old), their parents, friends and teachers. The purpose of this paper is to share themes related to the way that choices made by and for disabled children and young persons, place them within different support systems and social network, which subsequent impact the young people's views of themselves and their prospects as young adults. The paper includes different perspectives on adulthood and the extent to which the young disabled people expect to reach that status or remain as “eternal youth” “for a long time”, enmeshed in segregated services. Findings show that the type, nature and mix of generic and segregated special services is critical for the young adults’ approaching adulthood in mainstream society or expecting to remain (for a long time) in the limbo of “eternal youth” within segregated settings. Earlier choices may, however, be revisited at each subsequent transition point. Further, the disabled young adults who struggled for social inclusion, could obtain full active membership in society, even against social and physical barriers and medically defined disability labels.