Social access and social inclusion outcomes for people with a disability in leisure and recreational built environments

About the Project

Project aims

The purpose of this study is to gather information to describe the current social inclusion experiences, patterns, and opportunities in leisure for young people with different types of disability, including physical, cognitive, sensory and neurodivergent. The research forms a component of Hannah Simmond’s, PhD researcher with The Hopkins Centre, Doctor of Philosophy program.

Expected outcomes

The proposed study aims to understand social access for people with a disability (PwD) within an urban environment. To accomplish this, a literature review will be completed to identify the role of barriers and enablers for PwD in community inclusion within a social setting. The subsequent PhD will then explore the barriers and enablers of a contemporary urban environment from the perspectives of PwD, investigating individuals’ experiences and collecting data from various known social settings.

Expected impact

The important findings from this project will inform the development of future research into social inclusion for young people living with a disability. Participants can request to receive a summary of the findings at the end of the survey.

The data collected and analysed from this project can then be applied to legislation surrounding disability access within Australia to determine whether policies are adhering to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (2006). This knowledge will then be used to determine policy outcomes.

Progress

This project has started data collection in June 2024 and released an online survey containing questions about participants, their participation in leisure environments, and the barriers and enablers participants have encountered.

More information will be provided as the project progresses.