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Lifelong learning is viewed as a major strategy for addressing the social exclusion of a range of minority groups, including people with learning difficulties. This monograph is based on a research project entitled 'The meaning of the Learning Society for adults with learning difficulties' which was undertaken as part of a wider research program, 'The Learning Society: knowledge and skills for employment', funded by the United Kingdom Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) between 1995 and 2000. The project investigating the learning society and people with learning difficulties explored the range of education, training and employment opportunities accessible to this significant minority group. The aim was to analyse the experiences of this marginalised group in the learning society and, through the analysis, reach an understanding of the learning society itself. This report examines the range of policy areas which are increasingly intervening in the field of lifelong learning and the agencies taking part in services delivery and their varying cultures. It provides detailed case studies of the experiences of people with learning difficulties as they engage in lifelong learning options. The research demonstrates that policy based on human capital premises has generated forms of lifelong learning which aggravate the marginalisation of people with learning difficulties.