Social Inclusion Of Adults Research Articles

Making vulnerable groups able to connect socially and digitally—opportunities and pitfalls

IntroductionThis article addresses digital and social inclusion of adults with potential low digital skills. The article presents a case study of how digital learning activities (DLAs) as a service to refugees, immigrants, senior citizens, and young adults neither in education, employment, or training (NEETs), are delivered outside the formal educational system by two libraries and one civic organization in Norway, Denmark, and Belgium. Through the theoretical lenses of social capital building, co-creation and co-producing, the article analyzes how the DLA’s were organized and tailored for the participant’s needs, with an emphasis on cooperation efforts with local sub-partners and representatives from the target groups.MethodsA multiple case-design was applied using a process tracing method combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. To measure the partner organizations’ experiences from the project, we conducted participant observation, personal and focus group interviews, in addition to self-reporting schemas about how they organized the DLA’s. Surveys were conducted to measure the participants’ experiences.ResultsBy combining literature and theoretical approaches from several fields; digital inclusion, public and civil organization research—with a particular focus on libraries, and their role in educating refugees and other vulnerable groups, the article provides new insights on how public and non-public organizations in local communities can work together to tailor-make DLAs and contribute to the promotion of digital inclusion.DiscussionLibraries and civic organizations have potential to reach out to vulnerable people in local communities, to provide innovative DLA’s and to connect both people and organizations. Vital for recruitment of participants and to find the right level of digital/technical ambition is to closely co-create and co-produce with representatives from other local organizations in both civil and public sector during the whole process. Co-creating activities with actors representing the target group in the planning phase as well as co-producing them in the implementation phase, are important prerequisites. The article discusses the challenges of trust-building, of finding the right level of digital ambition as well as developing long-term digital activities as important factors for the promotion of digital inclusion.

Social Inclusion of Adults with a Light Intellectual Disability

Problem: How do adults with a light intellectual disability manifest social inclusion? Method: qualitative research conducted by means od in-depth interview. The empirical material was interpreted by using the assumptions of the hermeneutical-phenomenological perspective. The research involved 15 adults with a light intellectual disability aged 23-37 from Poland. Results: The subjects have acces to health care, use public transport when needed and are familiar with digital technology and electronic banking services. Those, who are not well acquainted with electronic media use debit card. Participation in cultural events is not always well accessed by people with intellectual disability. The respondents are not exposed to social exclusion due to their economic standing. Those, who are not professionally active are offered institutional support when it is necessary. Conlusion: Light intellectual disability, in case of the group of people subject to the tests performed, does not constitute a factor limiting social incusion. Adequate cognitive resources possessed by the respondents as well as social roles they play supports their blending into the community of people without disabilities.

Rights for all? Living conditions and (de)citizenship of adults with intellectual and complex disabilities in Portugal.

In 2009, Portugal ratified the UN CRPD and a turn to a rights-based approach in disability law and policy has intensified since. It thus becomes important to understand whether these legal changes are furthering the social inclusion of adults with intellectual and complex disabilities. Questionnaires were applied to a stratified sample of 127 adults with intellectual and complex disabilities attending social care and vocational training programmes across the country. Participants reported low rates of social participation, and many (49%) were found to live below the poverty line. High rates of discrimination and violence and feelings of loneliness and sadness were also reported, which can be strong indicators of the oppression that many of them daily endure. Adults with intellectual and complex disabilities in Portugal face exclusion, discrimination, and violence. The poverty and isolation in which many of them live compounds their (de)citizenship status in Portuguese society.

On the outside looking in: a phenomenological study of the lived experience of Australian adults with a disorder of the corpus callosum

BackgroundWhile classified as a rare condition, a congenital disorder of the corpus callosum (DCC) is one of the most commonly identified brain anomalies in newborns, occurring in 1:4000 live births. Advances in imaging techniques have improved early diagnosis for children, yet adults with a DCC—who may present with extreme heterogeneity in cause and impact—often experience challenges in receiving a definitive diagnosis and accessing appropriate services and supports. To date, the dearth of evidence documenting the lived experiences of adults with DCC has made it difficult to determine adequate policy and service responses. This exploratory research aims to address this gap by presenting the first qualitative examination of the experiences and impact of complete or partial agenesis of the corpus callosum among adults.ResultsEight face-to-face interviews were conducted with Australian adults, aged 23–72 years, to explore their lived experience. Data was collected in four Australian states from June to August 2017. Thematic and interpretive analyses were employed to analyse data. Three emergent themes described difficulties related to: (1) reactions to the diagnosis; (2) access to supports and key life domains, and (3) identifying as an adult. Interview analysis described lived experiences typically outlining a lifetime of exclusion and misunderstanding from family, educators and disability and health support services.ConclusionsThis paper contributes to filling the knowledge gap around a rare congenital brain disorder affecting the lives of adults. Findings confirm a considerable lack of information and support for adults living with corpus callosum disorders. Greater professional and societal understanding is needed to improve access to the key life domains of education, employment and social inclusion for adults with a DCC. To instigate truly effective change, social research must tackle the issues of applicability and impact to alter the dominance of uninformed practices, hindered by prevailing myths. This research paves the way for further phenomenological studies in which participant narrative is vital. Further research will elicit stronger policy and service responses for all current and emerging adults with a DCC.

Disability and social inclusion ‘Down Under’: A systematic literature review

This article provides a systematic literature review investigating how the social inclusion of adults with disability is conceptualised in research concerned with policy and service provision in Australia. The review will summarise this literature, and clarify its relative strengths and weaknesses. The findings from the literature review are grouped into recurring themes, namely: deinstitutionalisation; the changing nature of paid support; different forms of ‘community engagement’; and socially valued roles, particularly in the realms of employment, volunteering, and consumer transactions. The literature mostly concerns people with intellectual and cognitive disability, more so than persons with sensory, psychosocial (mental health) and physical disabilities. Several gaps emerge in the literature, such as the experiences of Indigenous people with disabilities, both in terms of exclusion they may face, and solutions being developed by Indigenous communities; ambiguous understandings of social inclusion; and a lack of acknowledgement of prominent critiques of social inclusion. The review builds on these findings to make recommendations for policy, practice, and further research.

Disability and social inclusion ‘Down Under’: A systematic literature review

This article provides a systematic literature review investigating how the social inclusion of adults with disability is conceptualised in research concerned with policy and service provision in Australia. The review will summarise this literature, and clarify its relative strengths and weaknesses. The findings from the literature review are grouped into recurring themes, namely: deinstitutionalisation; the changing nature of paid support; different forms of ‘community engagement’; and socially valued roles, particularly in the realms of employment, volunteering, and consumer transactions. The literature mostly concerns people with intellectual and cognitive disability, more so than persons with sensory, psychosocial (mental health) and physical disabilities. Several gaps emerge in the literature, such as the experiences of Indigenous people with disabilities, both in terms of exclusion they may face, and solutions being developed by Indigenous communities; ambiguous understandings of social inclusion; and a lack of acknowledgement of prominent critiques of social inclusion. The review builds on these findings to make recommendations for policy, practice, and further research.

Mental health, human rights and social inclusion for adults and children

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider three recent papers relating to human rights and applicable to adults or children given mental health diagnoses. Design/methodology/approach – The first paper discussed how to measure progress in different countries in their policy changes to abide by the UN Convention on rights of persons with disabilities, and discussed how all relevant groups could be involved. The second paper considered the problem of children’s rights being eroded by overuse of the mental health diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when they are restless. The third paper reported on an evaluation of how well advocacy services are enabling people who are sectioned to have a say in their care. Findings – When assessing how well countries are doing in ensuring the rights of people with disabilities, the first paper’s authors concluded that all groups must participate in the evaluation, even though there are many different agendas. The second paper reported on how professionals and parents could come to a shared understanding of how children might be wrongly given a diagnosis of ADHD and jointly suggested some solutions. The third paper illustrated how important advocacy is, and the difference it can make to the lives of people who are sectioned. Originality/value – The first paper’s authors are engaged in ground-breaking research to assess whether disabled people’s rights under the UN Convention are being honoured. The second paper raised vital questions about the misuse of diagnosis, contravening the UN Convention on the rights of the child, and illustrated how parents and professionals can come together in support of these rights. The third paper reported on the first systematic national study on the implementation of advocacy services to defend the rights of people who are sectioned to have a say in their care.

An English perspective on policy for adults with autism

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of English policy and legislation which impacts on the health outcomes and social inclusion for adults with autism. Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive review of national policy for England was undertaken using key internet search engines such as Google. Findings – In spite of innovative legislation and policy relating to autism across England, there are still wide discrepancies in both service models and provision relating to autism. More work is required to communicate what autism services should look like along with greater awareness training for professionals working with adults with autism to ensure reasonable adjustments are occurring across public services. Originality/value – This paper outlines current key policy and legislation in England relating to autism.

Teachers’ perceptions of virtual worlds as a medium for social inclusion for adults with intellectual disability

Purpose: The aim of this research was to explore educators’ perceptions of a virtual world Second Life TM as an environment for social interaction and social inclusion for the Norwegian adult students with intellectual disability that they supported. Method: Five educators who supported a total of 10 adult students with intellectual disability in computer classes in community Adult Education Centres participated in individual in-depth interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a content analysis. Results: Participants were positive about Second Life although they did not perceive that it offered a successful context for social interaction or inclusion. They identified a number of benefits to using a virtual world and for students participating in virtual world research. Barriers identified included language, literacy, and technology issues along with the complexity of participating independently in a virtual world. Conclusions: Some people with intellectual disability can use virtual worlds but the skills required need additional research. Virtual worlds may provide a stimulating, safe, and exciting context for a range of activities but the level of support required by many people is high and consequently expensive.Implications for RehabilitationEducators can use virtual worlds such as Second LifeTM with people with intellectual disability as an enjoyable medium to experience new activities and gain feelings of independence.People with intellectual disability can use Second Life with support and those with good literacy and computer skills can be trained to use it independently.Technology support is needed as virtual worlds are not easy to use for those who have problems with literacy or with speaking or reading English and if the virtual world platform is not stable, the ensuing problems with sound and/or images can be frustrating.Further research is required to explore how virtual worlds could be used to expand teaching programs and allow individuals to build on independent and new experiences in the virtual world safely.

Enablers and barriers of social inclusion for young adults with intellectual disability: A multidimensional view

Background Factors that enhance the social exclusion and limit the social inclusion of adults with intellectual disability undermine their health and wellbeing. Thus it is important to reduce the impact of such factors. This may be achieved by deepening the understanding of the enablers and barriers to social inclusion, which were explored in this study using a multidimensional framework (O'Brien, J. (1989). What's worth working for? Leadership for better quality human services. Lithonia, GA: Responsive Systems Associates. Retrieved from http://thechp.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/whatsw.pdf) and the reports of young adults with intellectual disability, and family members, who were involved in an inclusive community leisure program.Method Interview data from 4 young adults and a parent and a sister were (1) thematically analysed, and (2) the resulting thematic structure was further analysed for enablers and barriers to social inclusion using the multidimensional framework. General observations conducted by the researcher on most participants, which were member checked, were used to validate the information gathered in the interviews.Results Seven primary themes emerged from the initial thematic analysis. Further analyses of the initial thematic structure using the multidimensional framework revealed 24 enablers and 10 barriers to the social inclusion of young adults.Conclusion Social inclusion of the young adults was influenced by enablers and barriers appearing across multiple dimensions. Implications for best service practice with young adults and their families to enable movement toward social inclusion are discussed.

"Forgotten Learners". The Plight of Tertiary Learners with an Intellectual Disability: An Opportunity for Provider Partnerships.

This paper discusses the issue of tertiary education2 for adults with intellectual disabilities. It argues there is a dearth of such opportunities, particularly within the mainstream tertiary education system and this limits employment opportunities and social inclusion for adults with intellectual disabilities. This is not consistent with the explicit and implicit commitments from government to tertiary education opportunities for this learner population in both disability and education policy. Therefore, specialist disability support providers and mainstream education providers must work in partnership with employers in order to create more appropriate, inclusive tertiary learning opportunities that will lead to more employment outcomes and ensure greater levels of social inclusion. Moreover, having a range of tertiary education opportunities would not only help to increase employment outcomes in a quantitative sense but would open up a wider range of employment areas.

Are adults with intellectual disabilities socially excluded? An exploratory study in Taiwan

The aim of this exploratory study is to examine to what extent adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Taiwan are socially excluded and to identify the factors that are potentially associated with such social exclusion. The research method of this study is secondary data analysis, using descriptive and χ2 statistical analysis. Two data sets, from the 2003 and 2006 surveys entitled 'Survey of Living Situation for People with Disabilities in Taiwan', were used (n = 572; n = 618). In addition, 'independent living/living within the community' (as opposed to residing in an institution), 'employment' and 'household economic situation/residing in a low-income household' were social exclusion indicators in this study. The results revealed that in the 2003 (2006) survey, 81.9% (79.6%) of the subjects fell into at least one category of social exclusion, 11.3% (12.3%) fell into two or more categories and 0.2% (1.1%) fell into all three categories. Moreover, older women with ID, with no spouse or partner, lower educational levels and greater severity of the disability had a significantly greater likelihood of being subjected to more categories of social exclusion. The finding that the proportion of adults with ID and no social exclusion has risen from 18.1% in 2003 to 20.4% in 2006 represents an encouraging trend. However, there has been a marked increase in the proportion of the subjects with more categories of social exclusion, particularly with regard to those who have to endure all three categories, from 0.2% in 2003, to 1.1% in 2006. This implies that, at the time of the last survey, there was still considerable room for improvement in the social inclusion of adults with ID in Taiwan.