Factors Affecting the Social Participation of Disabled People: A New Perspective on Social Connectedness

Evidence shows that the quantity, diversity, and quality of one’s social relationships are significant predictors of overall well-being and longevity. Social relationships are built through participation in activities with others, in community and shared spaces. Historically, disabled people have experienced persistent barriers to participation, resulting in their social exclusion from several areas of daily life. The thesis objective was to contribute to the understanding of the nature and patterning of barriers obstructing disabled people’s social participation and to evaluate what this means for their social connectedness. A conceptual framework of social relations was developed to define the thesis concept of social connectedness and to inform the mixed methods research design. A secondary analysis of the UK Life Opportunities Survey (LOS) compared restricted participation and barriers to participation between disabled and non-disabled populations and explored patterns of barriers characterising restricted participation in the disabled sample using Latent Class Analysis. A longitudinal study, using LOS Wave 1-3, examined transitions in social participation and changes in barriers to participation reported by disabled and non-disabled people. A qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore experiences of establishing and maintaining social relationships in a sample of autistic adults. Disabled people had significantly higher rates of restricted participation in the LOS across all life areas. LCA identified three broad types of barrier profiles, characterised by time-driven, health-driven, and multiple environmental barriers. Reporting multiple social and physical environmental barriers to participation were significantly associated with being aged 16-24, reporting a high severity mental health impairment, or a neurodevelopmental condition. The qualitative study findings suggest that beyond environmental factors, the functional and qualitative features of social interactions play a vital role in autistic adults’ social connectedness. The thesis findings build on a new model of social relations to extend the understanding of social connectedness and constructions of disability.