Discovering a new way of life after an accident or illness : accessibility for disabled individuals in Icelandic society
The main goal of this study was to get a general overview of the status of accessibility for disabled people in an unfamiliar environment. This was done from the participants point of view. The focus of this qualitative study was to find out if there were any specific facilities and areas that were lacking in our society in regard to accessibility. Also, to get perspective from disabled people concerning potential solutions. Four of the participants in this study were disabled due to accidents. The other two participants were non-disabled individuals working in the field of constructing or designing environments for disabled people. Qualitative unstandardized interviews were conducted with each participant and analyzed afterwards. The results showed a general consensus between participants’ views and experiences of their environment. Some facilities and areas were more problematic than others, and as for solutions, participants agreed on the fact that an increase in awareness, visibility, and general knowledge of disability could have a positive effect on their future in our society. By improving on those three factors, the hope was that acceptance and accessibility for disabled people would increase, resulting in a better quality of life for people with disability. Keywords: disability, accessibility, environment
Sálfræði, Hreyfihamlaðir, Aðgengi fatlaðra, Psychology, People with disabilities, Accessibility
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