Article

The primary aim of the study was to explore how people with a disability
experience participation in society. A secondary aim was to contribute to the
understanding of the concept of participation in terms of the International
Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). METHOD: Six people
with disabilities participated in focus group discussions. The data were analysed
following the guidelines for the constant comparative method. RESULTS: Three main
categories emerged with regard to the participants' experiences of participation
in society. These included: (1) being engaged, (2) being a member of society and
(3) interacting as a citizen. Furthermore, a sense of 'climbing up and sliding
down the participation ladder' emerged as a core category of participation. This
image reflected the dynamic interaction between individual and society; between,
on one hand, an individual' attitude, engagement, motivation, interest and
capacity, as well as their sense of responsibility vis-a-vis an activity or a
social group; and, on the other hand, the opportunities that society and their
immediate social worlds offer them. CONCLUSIONS:
The fact that participants
experience social participation as 'climbing up and sliding down the
participation ladder' is important as it enables service providers, managers and
policy makers to identify which intrapersonal and environmental factors operate
together to limit or enhance the social participation of people with
disabilities. This also implies that there is a need for a committed relationship
in issues concerning participation for all in society, between people with
disabilities and urban planners, and service providers. Findings also imply that
participation means being autonomous and making decisions about one's own life
and that the subjective dimension of participation must be considered in the
revision of the ICF model. Another consideration is to separate activity and
participation into two dimensions; i.e. to render more visible the fact that participation is related to environmental, as well as to personal, factors.

Langue : ANGLAIS