Mattering youth: a new materialist reading of mattering in the transition to adulthood of a young disabled adult

For many young disabled people, the postsecondary transition is marked by uncertainty as support structures shift and expectations of adulthood increase. Through the story of Wout, a young man with Down syndrome, we examine who and what comes to matter in this life stage. Using a new materialist perspective, we attend to the human and material connections that shape his transition towards adult life. Rather than viewing transition as a brief in‑between moment, we approach it as a non-linear process that opens possibilities for inclusive living. Employing walking-with as a methodological approach and a diffractive reading of three events in Wout's life, we illuminate how mattering emerges through relational assemblages of people and things. These insights urge us to listen closely to the relationalities in a young disabled person's life and to recognize the varied elements that participate in a life's ongoing becoming.