Theory or theories? A commentary on ‘initial steps towards a theory and praxis of person–environment interaction in disability’

Abstract

Purpose. This article comments on the paper by Rene Jahiel and Marcia Joslyn Scherer elsewhere in this issue.

Methods. This article adds theoretical constructs.

Results. In commenting on their paper, this article makes four broad points. First, the sub-components identified by Drs. Jahiel and Scherer comprise critical factors of disability and the environment that must be taken into account when examining personal interactions with the environment. Second, as important as these factors are, operationalization of the model is hindered by a lack of mutual exclusivity between the sub-components both within and between the disability and environmental components. Third, power can be assessed in terms of the relative strength of individual functioning versus environmental functioning via a systematic appraisal of those elements essential to understanding the concept of accessibility. Finally, the demographic distinction between cohort and period trend analysis is an important consideration to take into account when assessing the time dimension, as the authors urge.

Keywords:

• Person
• environment
• interaction