Social Participation and Perceived Quality of Environment of Adults with Disabilities

Abstract

Background: Social participation is a fundamental right; however, restrictions often arise due to environmental barriers, both physical and social. The ‘Handicap Innovation Territoire’ (HIT) project aims to enhance social participation for individuals with disabilities living in Brittany, France. To gain insight into the desired areas of intervention and evaluate the HIT project, an initial experiment was conducted to assess the level of social participation and perceived environmental quality among people with disabilities. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was performed, utilizing the Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H) and Measure of the Quality of the Environment (MQE). Results: Twenty-five individuals with disabilities, with an average age of 46.0 ± 23.6 years, were recruited. The results indicated an overall high level of social participation, while work, education, and leisure showed participation restrictions. The MQE scores revealed variations in the environmental perception across disability groups concerning work environment (p = 0.035), stores and services (p = 0.014), health care services (p = 0.006), education (p = 0.043), access to radio and television (p = 0.002), road accessibility (p = 0.003), and time allowed for tasks (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The study identified factors that influence social participation among individuals with disabilities living in Brittany, and highlighted the actions implemented within the HIT project to address the challenges related to social participation.