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

Abstract

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.