Finding out how young people have disabilities is also difficult. It would be useful if the Department could publish the number of such students, and the disabilities recorded. Some disabled people feel that the very act of definition endangers the process of integration. Yet some disabilities do constitute a disadvantage, which if not compensated for, will restrict a person's life chances. To say everyone is disabled though true in a sense, can minimize the experience of those with more severe disabilities.
Some disabled people require greater support and, consequently, more resources than others.
Although definitions do have negative consequences, without them it is impossible to make valid comparisons. Many public bodies work on the basis that anyone who declares a medically attested disability, is disabled. The legitimate fears of those disabled people who choose not to register should be addressed - notably their feeling that registering as disabled may label them, and impede their career prospects. In calling for increased access we need to show approximate numbers, for whom present arrangements are inadequate. These issues need to addressed by the Council for the Status of People with a Disability.