Equal Rights for Disabled Children in England: Myth or Reality?

Over the past thirty years much has been done in England to ensure equal rights to disabled children. The article reviews the laws that were passed during that period in favour of equal rights and social integration, or even "inclusion" of disabled people within society. We analyse the progress brought by these laws, as well as their human, political and financial limits. We examine the reasons why so many disabled people are still excluded from society. To this aim we review the various theories which have been put forward to explain this phenomenon. Finally, we study how the disabled themselves have tried to remedy the situation by working on the "social model" of disability so as to achieve true social integration.