Focusing on the commonly advocated concept of social inclusion in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, this book argues that the current approach has not succeeded in supporting people to lead good lives in the community.

It instead advocates the importance of belonging as a basis for a good life, and examines the implications of belonging at both conceptual and practical levels for educators and social workers. The book includes the life histories of various individuals, detailing their experiences with unbelonging, and their differing journeys navigating society as people with disabilities. Far from being an easily defined category, this book provides a multifaceted and nuanced perspective on what it means to be human, too commonly overlooked in conventional human rights discussions.

This is a vital work in the field of research regarding human rights. It will appeal to scholars, activists, and persons with disabilities who are interested in looking beyond traditional discourse, to a new future of human rights with belonging as a key part of socialisation, and its implications for public policy.

Kelley Johnson is an internationally recognised scholar in the fields of disability, institutional closure, social inclusion, rights, and gender. She currently holds two honorary professorships at Deakin University and UNSW (University of New South Wales) in Australia. She was previously a Professor of Disability and Policy and Director of the Social Policy Research Centre at the UNSW.

Alisha Gilliland is a woman, mother, partner, friend, and advocate. She is employed at Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault, working alongside people who live with cognitive and intellectual disability and counsellor-advocates on a peer-led social and sexual safety education program, for and by people with disabilities. She has also worked as a researcher and educator with Deakin University, Australia, where she met Kelley Johnson.

Ramunas McRae completed his PhD at Deakin University, Australia and is a deaf researcher, educator, artist and award-winning filmmaker whose work focuses on Deaf mental health, language acquisition and access to communication.

Gerard Minogue is a founding member of the Clare (County Clare) Inclusive Research Group and the Inclusive Research Network of Ireland. He has been involved in doing research on issues important to himself and other people with learning disabilities since 2008. He published with fellow disability advocate, Orla McMahon and Dr Ellinior Flynn an academic at the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), an easy read guide to the exemptions to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that Ireland put in place.

Nihal Iscel has a Bachelor of Psychology from Edith Cown University, Australia. She has been working in the multicultural and disability sectors in various roles for more than 20 years, aiming to help and contribute to making positive systemic changes and help break barriers for people in minority groups, including refugees, humanitarian entrants, people with disabilities, and isolated Women and Children.

Chester Chan became involved in writing this book through meeting Fredio Lam, from whom he learned about the importance of getting social change to happen. He is involved in volunteering services with children or adolescents with special education needs (SEN), middle-aged and elderly people with different difficulties or chronic diseases led by Fredio and many Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) or other social services.

Rachael Walters is a long-standing self-advocate, and was an integral member and project worker at New Wave Gippsland (a Gippsland-wide self-advocacy group) for over 10 years. For the last six years, she has been a member of the Community Advisory Committee (Community Voices) at West Gippsland Healthcare Group, Australia. Currently, she is employed as a Peer Educator at Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault.

Diana K. Piantedosi is a public policy specialist and researcher with senior leadership experience across national and state disability sectors. She is currently Senior Manager, Policy & Advocacy at Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Australia's national peak body for women with disabilities. She completed her PhD in Sociology at La Trobe University, Australia, where she is now an Adjunct Research Fellow, and is also an Honorary Research Fellow at Deakin University, Australia.

Anwiya O. Khanania has a Diploma in primary education and school management from Ramadi Teaching Institute, Iraq, and has been an educator for most of her working life. She hopes that her chapter will support readers in seeing the importance of interacting and accepting multiple cultures and people adapting to new societies, while retaining their culture of origin.