A qualitative exploration of motivations and barriers for community leisure organisations’ engagement with the Jooay™ mobile app

Abstract

Purpose Participation in leisure activities is key to the physical and mental health of children and adolescents with disabilities. The Jooay™ mobile app aims to link children and adolescents with disability to participation opportunities in their community. This study explored the perspectives of community leisure organisations and their motivations and perceived barriers to be listed as a leisure service on Jooay™. Materials and methods Twenty representatives of community leisure organisations in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia were interviewed. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory was used to shape the semi-structured interview guides. Data were analysed with thematic analysis using an inductive open coding approach. Results Four key themes pertaining to motivations and barriers to registration with Jooay™ were developed: Building reputation; Collaboration; Ability to deliver accessible leisure services; and Usability of Jooay™. Multiple motivating factors for registering on Jooay™ were identified including positive financial implications, meeting corporate social responsibilities, building collaborative stakeholder partnerships, and building organisational confidence and awareness of disability through supportive partnerships. Environmental and organisational barriers to inclusion were highlighted. Conclusion Findings will inform future promotion of the features and benefits of Jooay™ to engage community leisure organisations. This may increase the number of accessible leisure services listed within the app, providing a greater selection of community leisure activities in which children and adolescents with disability can participate. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Community leisure organisations would be motivated to engage with the JooayTM app, provided the right supports are in place for them. Additional benefits of registering on JooayTM may include positive financial implications, meeting corporate social responsibilities, building collaborative stakeholder partnerships, and building disability confidence and awareness through supportive partnerships. Ongoing education and support is needed for community leisure organisations regarding; disability awareness, competency, and capacity to deliver leisure services in inclusive and equitable ways. This will enable them to increase their accessibility for children with disabilities, particularly for non-disability-specific leisure organisations. Information about leisure services on the Jooay™ app builds capacity in the community to identify diverse access needs of children and young people with disabilities and the most effective strategies to address them.