Following on from my last post, I am happy to announce that the Including the Excluded project has now been completed.

In addition to cataloguing The Children’s Society’s records that relate to the care of disabled children, we have repackaged 600 of our children’s case files, making them easier to use and preserving them for the future.

This blog has allowed me to highlight some of the interesting items that I have found amongst The Children’s Society’s records. If you would like more information, we also have summaries of the stories found in some of the children’s case files, giving examples of what life was like for disabled children in care in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

As fascinating as the items and case files we’ve selected here are, they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Looking into any of the records that have been catalogued as part of this project will reveal information about disabled children in The Children’s Society’s care, what life was like for them, and how attitudes to disability have changed over the years.

Thanks to Including the Excluded, many of the catalogued records are now available to view in person by making an appointment at The Children’s Society’s Records and Archives Centre in London.

If you are interested in the records we hold that relate to the care of disabled children, please do take a look at our catalogues. Information on how to make an appointment to view the records can be found at the front of each catalogue.

Many thanks to our volunteers and to all my colleagues who have helped to make this project a success.