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Participation in Work Life and Access to Public Transport – Lived Experiences of People with Disabilities in Sweden

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2012

Rafael Lindqvist  and
Jörgen Lundälv
Rafael Lindqvist*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Jörgen Lundälv
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden and Department of Surgery and Perioperative Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
*
Address for correspondence: Rafael Lindqvist, Department of Sociology, Uppsala University, P.O Box 624, 751 26Uppsala. E-mail: Rafael.Lindqvist@soc.uu.se
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Abstract

This study explores accessibility to public transport facilities and participation in work life experienced by persons with physical and cognitive impairments. Participants were 21 persons with mobility (n = 6), neuropsychiatric (n = 6), hearing (n = 7), or visual impairments (n = 2) (males = 11, females = 10; age range = 16 to 79). Data were collected using focus group discussions and thematically analysed. The findings point to significant physical, social/attitudinal and communication limitations to the access of public transportation and participation in work life. While participants with physical impairments emphasised lack of accessibility in terms of transport accommodations, persons with neuropsychiatric impairments focused on the social and interactional aspects of public transport. Work life participation was mostly impacted by lack of flexibility in work tasks and work organisation, and fear of being misunderstood and perceived as incapable.

Keywords

accessibilitydesign featurespublic transportwork climatepersons with impairmentslived experiencegrounded theory
Type
Brief Report
Information
The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , December 2012 , pp. 148 - 155
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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