Social integration of the physically disabled

Abstract

Social welfare agencies worldwide are trying to bring physically disabled and able-bodied persons closer together by conducting joint leisure activities for members of both groups. This article reports on a study aimed at identifying the relationship between such locational activities and their impact on the social integration of physically disabled and able-bodied persons, as measured by the friendships they form and the frequency with which they meet outside the confines of the host agency. Based on a sample of 488 members of an NGO in Hong Kong, the major finding is that joint locational activities have a spill-over effect on able-bodied participants, but not on the physically disabled. It is recommended that similar programmes pay attention to people's motives for joining such activities and to their personal self image and level of participation - all of which were found to be positively related to social integration.