A Collaborative Approach

Supporting disabled parents requires a team effort. Healthcare professionals, adult and children’s services, and family support organizations must work together to take a whole-family approach. Effective collaboration helps to:

• Tear down barriers to support
• Provide parents with the right information and resources
• Prevent unnecessary duplication of efforts

By sharing assessments, plans, and significant updates, professionals can ensure that support is streamlined and accessible for families who need it.

Who Are Disabled Parents?

Disabled parents come from all walks of life and family structures. Our definition of a ‘disabled parent’ includes:

• Parents with a physical, sensory, or learning impairment or long-term illness
• Prospective parents preparing for parenthood
• Same-sex couples navigating parenting roles
• Foster and adoptive parents raising children with love
• Biological parents who need additional support

By sharing assessments, plans, and significant updates, professionals can ensure that support is streamlined and accessible for families who need it.

Our Approach: The Social Model of Disability

At Enabled2Parent, we believe in removing societal barriers rather than focusing on a person's impairments. We encourage professionals to:

• Challenge outdated perceptions and focus on accessibility
• Ensure parents and children receive the care they need in an empowering way
• Recognize the strengths of disabled parents and connect them with community resources

By focusing on what support is needed rather than limitations, we can create a fairer and more inclusive approach for families.

Recognising the Wider Impact

A parent's disability can impact their entire family, especially their children. Many children may experience social exclusion due to their parent's restricted access to:

• Employment opportunities
• Suitable housing
• Reliable transport
• Quality healthcare
• Education

This exclusion can lead to disadvantages not just for the parent but also for their children. By addressing these barriers, we can create a more inclusive society where families thrive together.

Breaking the Stigma

Parental disability is often overlooked, yet it affects a significant portion of families. Research shows that around 15% of parents in the UK will experience temporary or permanent disability while raising their children. Despite this, disabled parents often face stigma when seeking support, which can make it difficult to access essential services, equipment, and resources.

One of the biggest challenges is the risk of disabled parents—especially those with learning disabilities—losing custody of their children without their support needs being properly assessed. Many local authorities lack a proactive approach, waiting until problems arise rather than offering early support. This reactive stance contradicts legal frameworks such as:

• Fair Access to Care Services (FACS), which emphasizes parental support in community care assessments
• The Children Act 1989, which states that disabled parents’ support needs should be met to uphold children's welfare

We must shift the focus from crisis management to proactive, supportive services that enable disabled parents to thrive.

Addressing the Needs of Young Carers

Young carers—children who provide physical or emotional support to their disabled parents—have gained recognition in social policy. While legislative measures such as the following have been put in place to support them:

• Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995
• Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000

There is still a need to ensure that disabled parents receive the support necessary to reduce the burden on young carers. Families should not have to rely on children to fill the gaps in inadequate social care.