What are we trying to do for disabled children?

SummaryThe social model of disability and the new sociology of childhood emphasise, respectively, the relevance of the environment to participation and the importance of quality of life. Such ideas can be readily understood by and shared between parents, young disabled people, professionals and planners; they also make clearer what we are trying to do when supporting disabled children and their families. This article discusses these concepts and emphasises the importance of expressing them in quantitative terms if they are to influence research, planning and clinical practice.