SERIOUS LEISURE AND PEOPLE WITH ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT: BENEFITS AND CONSTRAINTS

There are many people around the world who have different types of disabilities. Understanding their needs is the first step of developing policies to increase their quality of life and satisfaction. Leisure is an essential need of disabled people and it plays an important role in disabled people's lives. The purpose of this study is to gain a deep understanding on the serious leisure activities of people with orthopedic impairment, and also both benefits and constraints involved with serious leisure. Therefore, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 people who have orthopedic impairment. The data collected through interviews was analyzed by using a coding process. Findings of the study indicate that people with orthopedic impairment pursue many leisure activities. The research revealed that the participants were aware of significant individual and community benefits of serious leisure activities. Although the benefits of leisure for private and community life are obvious for people with orthopedic impairment, it is not always easy for them to pursue serious leisure activities. Disabled people recognize that there are many constraints involved with serious leisure. Based on the findings, these constraints are explained as psychological factors, family support, level of orthopedic impairment, community awareness and environmental factors, work and income