Participation in a rehabilitation program based on adapted physical activities in Norway: a qualitative study of experiences of immigrant parents and their children with disabilities

Abstract

Purpose By exploring immigrant families’ experiences of participating in a three-week rehabilitation program focused on adapted physical activity in Norway, this study investigated how beneficial, culturally adapted, and accessible the services were from the families’ perspectives. Methods A hermeneutic design with semi-structured interviews supplemented by participant observation was applied. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Results Three themes were identified: “learning through participating,” “sharing the same experience,” and “gaps in service delivery.” By participating in physical activities together with their children, parents became aware of their children’s capabilities and interests, as well as the available resources. Parents also socialized and exchanged experiences and information with each other. Children learned new skills, became aware of their preferences and capabilities, built friendships, and improved their social skills. However, a lack of cultural adaptation, such as insufficient information, as well as the location of the rehabilitation center, language barriers, and exclusion of siblings affected accessibility of the services to immigrant families. Conclusions Although the beneficial aspects of the services were demonstrated, the cultural adaptation and accessibility of the services were limited. Providing flexible and culturally adapted services that meet immigrant families’ needs may improve the accessibility of rehabilitation services to immigrant families. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Making information available to immigrant families, mapping their resources and needs well before the intervention may improve the accessibility of the services for these families. Rehabilitation professionals need to consider families’ perceptions of their own role through the goal-setting process when engaging with families from cultural backgrounds different from their own. When planning the intervention, grounding physical activities in the diverse cultural background of participants may increase immigrant families’ sense of belonging and inclusion, and thereby facilitate interaction between families regardless of cultural differences.