Creating a path from school to work: Reconceptualising economic participation for young Australians with intellectual disability

This thesis examined the expectations young Australians with intellectual disability and their family members hold about economic participation post school, and the barriers and enablers, particularly to paid employment, for this cohort. An ecological framework was utilised to demonstrate that complex and intersecting barriers to economic participation exist that must be addressed by re-framing our understanding of intellectual disability and economic participation, and by ensuring that systems and supports are in place that help young people with intellectual disability to achieve their aspirations. This is particularly important in the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).