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Over the past few weeks, I've had a number of conversations that have turned to the subject of social exclusion. The usual causes of social exclusion made their appearance: poverty, institutional and personal discrimination, lack of accessibility to public and private buildings, and lack of accessible transport for instance.

Some of my physically disabled colleagues told stories of immeasurable sadness and resentment, of injustices and missed opportunities that stretch back decades. One woman, now in her late middle-age, recalls how she felt abandoned by her parents, and was forced to live in a dormitory, in an institution, until her mid-thirties. It took nearly 10 years for her to have enough self-confidence to live independently. She remembers, with tears in her eyes, the time she was told she wouldn't be able to attend her father's funeral because she couldn't get her wheelchair into the church.

Another man, now in his forties, described how his life had changed, moving (again) from institutional care to the community, but still feeling that he had little independence. His times of getting up and going to bed were dictated by the home care service. Provision for his social life depended upon the timetabling of his care provision, and often meant just a visit to the local shops, because there was nothing else to do. One of his enduring sadnesses was that he had missed out on being able to socialise as a young adult with his peers. He feels that, given the opportunity, he might have been able to form relationships, even get married, perhaps. Now he feels that his chances have gone, and that he will be single for the rest of his life.

We often talk about the deficiencies of the current system, and the inadequacies of the attempts at social inclusion.

It's worth remembering that it's possible to do this only because our expectations, and those of society at large, have changed in the past few decades. It's worth remembering that, even 40 years ago, people with disabilities and chronic illnesses were not meant to have any expectations at all.