Stigmatising attitudes to disabilities and accessibility barriers were among the reasons why young disabled people have restricted opportunities to build social connections and reduce loneliness, according to new research from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The report, Qualitative research exploring how and why young disabled people experience loneliness and what could be done to reduce it, explored the barriers and facilitators for building social connections among young disabled people and considered how the government can tackle loneliness among this group.
It found that the impact of disabilities made it difficult for young people to build social connections. These included physical isolation, such as being unable to leave home, participation in social activities (such as sports), and communication challenges that inhibited participants’ ability to build relationships easily. Also, stigmatising attitudes to disabilities impacted participants’ confidence and ability to trust others.
In addition, a lack of accessible employment opportunities or opportunities to increase employability and limited access to post-18 support to manage life stage transitions (e.g. school to university or school to work) led to loneliness for some young disabled people.
Education-related barriers included reduced attendance at school/college/university due to a changing health condition and a lack of the necessary adjustments and support, being excluded from inaccessible school trips, or cognitive disabilities being viewed as behavioural issues, which led to disciplinary action.
Some young disabled people faced barriers to accessing formal support that they believed would help them to reduce feelings of loneliness, including long waiting lists, minimal awareness of support available, or existing services not catering to their needs.
It has long been identified that young people and disabled people are both at disproportionate risk of experiencing loneliness.
The research found that loneliness impacts were wide-reaching in this group, with a cyclical relationship between disability, social connection, and loneliness. Health challenges limited opportunities for social connection, which contributed to loneliness. This adversely affected health symptom management (particularly for mental health), further limiting opportunities for social connection and exacerbating loneliness.
Extracurricular opportunities deepened feelings of connection and reduced loneliness by allowing young people to regularly see the same people or meet others with similar experiences or interests. However, these activities were often not considered accessible (physically or financially) or appropriate for all young disabled people, for instance, due to their age or level of health-related needs.
It was also reported that activities were poorly advertised, and some young people were unsure how to find out about these groups.
The report recommended that more support be given to voluntary, community, or social enterprise organisations (VCSE) to increase the provision of groups for those with common interests and experiences (including similar health challenges) to build social connections. These groups should be delivered in a diverse range of sufficiently accessible formats (e.g., in-person and online), be financially accessible, and be widely advertised on social media and within healthcare and educational settings.
Education providers should be supported to improve accessibility through reasonable adjustment measures, staff training, and initiatives to help young people increase attendance. This would provide greater opportunities to build social connections and reduce loneliness. This should take a tailored approach, recognising the individual and disability-specific needs of young disabled people.
VCSE organisations should also be encouraged to develop and provide accessible work/volunteering opportunities. These organisations should take a flexible approach to supporting young disabled people into work, which will provide them with opportunities to build social connections and support their transition from education to work.
The report added that co-production should be an essential element of any intervention to reduce loneliness among young people with disabilities. This could foster empowerment, increase self-esteem and confidence, and highlight particular needs that project designers may not have initially considered. Any support offered should also be flexible, tailored, and holistic.
It concluded: “Support for young adults (18 to 24) should be aligned with and form a logical continuation of previous forms of statutory support they may have received. This would make it easier for people in this age group to know what support is available and what support they need to enable a successful transition to employment, which would ultimately boost opportunities for social connection and reduce loneliness.
“Further research is required into the types and intensity of support available to young people with disabilities focused on key life transition periods, particularly the transition from education to employment. Moreover, further research is required to understand loneliness among specific disability groups in relation to different life stages.”
