Participation and Inclusion of Children and Youth with Disabilities in Local Communities

This research aimed at strengthening the evidence base for interventions to promote the participation and inclusion of children and youth with disabilities in their communities. Four selected municipalities in four different regions of Norway participated. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out in all four municipalities with service providers, children and youth with disabilities, and parents of children and youth with disabilities. The FGDs were used to develop a questionnaire to measure participation indicators. A survey was carried out among 186 children and youth, combining (a) random sampling of children and youth without disabilities and (b) invitations to all children and youth with disabilities, as registered by the municipalities. High-level analyses of the FGDs are presented, indicating the barriers and facilitators for participation for children and youth with disabilities, as well as requests for improvement of services to stimulate participation. The categories of family, technology, and volunteering were identified primarily as facilitators of participation, while school environment was primarily identified as a barrier. The survey measured four different aspects of perception of one's own participation. Data analyses revealed higher level of environmental barriers among children and youth with disabilities, and lower level of actual participation, satisfaction with one's own participation and one's own participation compared with that of peers.