| Popis: |
Background Disability is an evolving concept that results from the complex interaction between a person with an impairment and the context in which he/she lives. There is limited understanding on the types, access and use of community assets valuable for people with disabilities, and the role of contextual factors. Our goal with this work was to identify access and use of community assets, and the role of contextual factors among people with disabilities, and the perspectives of rehabilitation professionals, residents of a suburban area in Colombia. Methods Using participatory mapping, a community based participatory approach, we carried out an assessment of community assets identified by people with disabilities and rehabilitation professionals. In-depth interviews informed the design of two asset mapping activities, one among people with disabilities (n=5) and a second with rehabilitation professionals (n=4). Results Main findings indicate a chain of contextual factors that limit access and use of assets stemming from the personal (e.g. financial resources, inaccessible housing), interpersonal level (e.g. lack of a personal assistance or aid), and community levels (e.g. lack of accessible public transportation and inaccessible buildings). In most cases these barriers are heightened by system level barriers (e.g. lack of effective enforcement of the legal framework). Conclusions Identifying these contextual factors, and their interactions, call for stronger enforcement of the existing legal framework through articulated work between different stakeholders so persons with disabilities can enjoy community assets. |
