The lives of women and men with intellectual disabilities have historically been burdened by exclusion, segregation, institutionalization and various types of restrictions. In the last five decades, the Czech Republic – under the influence of ideas such as the human rights movement and, more recently, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – has moved towards community services and the full participation of people with disabilities in society. Therefore, it is important to know the factors that contribute to or prevent this.

The aim of the PEDAL (researching transitions of young people with intellectual disabilities) project is to fill the gaps in the current knowledge of the lived experience of young people with intellectual disabilities, in the key period of transition from school to adult life. The research team combines social science methods with performative arts and new media approaches in an innovative way. The project aims not only to describe the current situation but identify and explore the factors associated with the successful transition of young people to adulthood and the conditions necessary for schools and support services to assist each individual with a disability to reach full and active participation in society.

The project is funded by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic. 

Project number:    22-26896S