Being who one wants : constructing participation within discourses of (dis)ability

Background: Society is full of norms categorising and labelling people on the basis of abilities, traits, and appearance. People who deviate from normative ideals are subjected to practices of able-mindedness that can stigmatise and marginalise norm-breaking functionality and invoke intellectual disability labels. People on the margins of (dis)ability are often excluded from societal domains such as the labour market and sports and may need help and support in their daily living, which can limit opportunities for participation. As an effort to prevent exclusion for people with intellectual disability labels, specific dis-locations were created; that is, daily activity services, group homes and disability sports. Aim: The overall aim of the dissertation was to explore and discuss how and for whom participation was constructed in relation to practices of able-mindedness and position in (dis)ability. Method: The empirical data for the dissertation consists of four studies. Study I used qualitative semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of people’s participation in daily activity services; the interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Study II employed the observer-as-participant role to obtain observations, with analysis focusing on the discursive patterns in how power affects conditions for participation among residents in group homes. Study III used qualitative open-ended interviews that were analysed with thematic analysis to explore the experiences of participation among athletes in disability sports. Finally, study IV used semi-structured/open-ended interviews that were analysed with discourse analysis to explore how staff in social support services directed to people with intellectual disability and leaders in disability sports talk about participation. Results: The results show that practices of able-mindedness create codes of conduct and contextual limitations to the construction of participation. People with intellectual disability labels are positioned on the margins and in dis-locations; however, the normatively deviant margin can also be the centre. Participation is encouraged and indeed an overarching aim of social support services and disability sports but only within those dis-locations. Conclusion: Able-mindedness affects one’s right to participation and position in the societal hierarchy. Locations created for people with intellectual disability labels have good outcomes but are also ableist. The dissertation presents a base of knowledge for constructions of participation in central life contexts for people with intellectual disability labels and ideas of how able-mindedness influence participation. The results are vital for social work practices’ assessment of support services, how to work with participation and in challenging preconceptions about intellectual disability