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Young disabled people say the SEND system is ‘failing them’

A new report by the Disabled Children’s Partnership and Kids shows how the SEND system is failing disabled children and young people aged 11–25, and what needs to change.

Young boy with visual impairment playing cricket

The report draws on research with 520 young disabled people aged 11-25. It was launched in April 2026, during the government’s consultation on SEND reform, a once-in-a-generation chance to rebuild a system that works for every child.

Young disabled people want the same ordinary things others take for granted: the right support to learn, opportunities to make friends, and a place where they feel they belong. But too often, that is not the reality. This report shares their experiences of failed support in the SEND system, alongside clear ideas for how to fix it.

It found:

  • Only 28% of young disabled people say they have the right amount of learning support.
  • 76% of survey respondents have an EHCP — yet most still don't receive the support they're legally entitled to.
  • Only 19% have the right support to take part in before/after school clubs and activities
  • Only 32% have the right number of friends they'd like at school.
  • Just 36% feel part of the community at their education or training setting.
  • Only 41% attend a setting with staff trained to meet their needs.
  • 68% say whole-school SEND training is the most effective way to improve workforce support.
  • 67% say staff understanding their needs and activities designed with them in mind would improve participation in clubs.

Based on what the young people told researchers, the key recommendations from the Disabled Children’s Partnership and Kids are: 

  1. Strengthened right to joined-up education, health and social care support and accountability for when that support is not delivered, because young people have told us the right support is transformational.
  2. Truly inclusive nurseries, schools and colleges, which are set up for children with SEND, whilst recognising and protecting the place for special schools to deliver the support young people say they need to learn and belong.
  3. More ambition to reduce the barriers to attendance for pupils with SEND against a background of young disabled people telling us they feel unsupported and isolated from the school/college community.
  4. Increasing young people’s inclusion in schools and colleges by investing to promote a fundamental culture shift in education, local councils and wider society.
  5. A system that ensures young people are meaningfully included in every decision about their support in education, health and care.

 You can read the full report on the Disabled Children’s Partnership website.

You can also access the guides and toolkits from across the Disabled Children’s Partnership Network to participate in the SEND Consultation before 18 May 2026.