Participation of People With Impairments in Seniors' Organizations: Conditions and Limitations on Inclusion.

Abstract

While older adults' social participation has attracted sustained attention, the realities faced by seniors with impairments in this area are still understudied. Social representations are formed from socially constructed opinions regarding a given object and have four functions (knowledge, identity, orientation, justification). The purpose of this article is to document the social representations that exist within seniors' organizations regarding participation by older people with impairments. In this mixed-methods study, an exploratory sequential design was applied. First, a qualitative phase involved meetings with five focus groups to explore how participants would manage difficult situations in which the inclusion of an older person with impairments must be addressed. Second, a quantitative phase consisted of a questionnaire administered to 86 respondents to examine the components of social representations about the participation of older people with impairments. Results show that, although research participants acknowledge that all seniors have the right to participate, this right confronts a collective identity infused with aging model that demands a youthful, "un-disabled" appearance and activities. In terms of the orientation function, making participation a reality is seen as relying on the efforts of people with impairments, but when there is a failure of inclusiveness, the reasons offered to justify it concern the resources available, rather than possible prejudices. Interpretation of the results leads to recommendations for both implementing an inclusion philosophy and practices in seniors' organizations and revisiting the view of impairment in old age as otherness.