Exploring the Personal and Social Aspects of Individuals with Physical Disabilities’ Leisure Experiences: experiencing leisure but as an individual person

ABSTRACT

From exploring the leisure interests and experiences of five individuals with physical disabilities, this article has two purposes. Firstly, to provide the reader with an insight of the leisure experience from a disabled person’s perspective and, secondly, to assess what implications the research participants’ accounts may have on our understanding of the ‘disabled leisure participant’. What is identified is that even though an individual may have a disability, they still have interests, emotions, desires and different abilities to interpret what leisure means to them. Disabled people’s leisure experiences are, like for everyone else, dynamic, personal, social and emotional, which can provide them with fulfilment, enjoyment and enrichment. Therefore, the article concludes that even though accessibility and inclusion are important concepts to discuss within leisure research, it is also important to discuss the personal and social aspects of disabled people’s leisure experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Disability
• leisure
• personal
• social
• emotions
• experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Graham A. Condie

Graham A. Condie is a PhD Student at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, where he is exploring the influence of sport on the identities and wellbeing of individuals with Cerebral Palsy. His research interests are in disability, the experience of having a medical condition and how leisure and recreation can empower people and improve their well-being (in particular, those with medical conditions). He is also interested in disability sport, the meaning of different leisure experiences and Therapeutic Recreation.