PARTICIPATION AND INCLUSION - A DISCOURSE OF WELFARE OR A DISCOURSE OF RIGHTS

Research among students with physical and sensory disabilities who hav e succeeded in continuing their education at post-compulsory level as far as higher education, revealed that they have a high level of perce ived personal control. This is strongly linked with educational attain ment irrespective of severity of disability. The emphasis of these stu dents upon self-help groups, and institutional response to student nee ds within a discourse of rights, rather than of welfare, has lessons f or equity policy and practice with respect to other disadvantaged grou ps. The wider implications of intervention strategies and compensation programs which label and further marginalise members of disadvantaged groups are explored in the paper in the context of the social constru ction of categories of disadvantage and difference the analysis of com peting discourses and social trends of individualisation and globalisa tion.