Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Center for Social Development and Education, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2023 Jul;36(4):758-767. doi: 10.1111/jar.13091. Epub 2023 Mar 10.
Identity development in individuals with disabilities is often negatively impacted by exclusion, marginalisation, and stigma. However, meaningful opportunities for community engagement can serve as one pathway towards establishing positive identity. This pathway is further examined in the present study.
Researchers used a tiered, multi-method, qualitative methodology consisting of audio diaries, group interviews, and individual interviews with seven youth (ages 16-20) with intellectual and developmental disabilities, recruited through the Special Olympics U.S. Youth Ambassador Program.
Participants' identities incorporated disability while simultaneously transcending the social limits of disability. Participants viewed disability as one aspect of their broader identity, shaped by leadership and engagement experiences such as those offered by the Youth Ambassador Program.
Findings have implications for understanding identity development in youth with disabilities, the importance of community engagement and structured leadership opportunities, and the value of tailoring qualitative methodologies to the subject of the research.
残疾人的身份发展常常受到排斥、边缘化和污名化的负面影响。然而，有意义的社区参与机会可以成为建立积极身份的途径之一。本研究进一步探讨了这一途径。
研究人员采用分层、多方法、定性方法，对通过美国特奥会青年大使计划招募的 7 名（年龄在 16-20 岁之间）智力和发育障碍青年进行了音频日记、小组访谈和个人访谈。
参与者的身份包含残疾，同时超越了残疾的社会限制。参与者将残疾视为其更广泛身份的一个方面，由领导力和参与经验塑造，例如青年大使计划提供的经验。
研究结果对理解残疾青年的身份发展、社区参与和结构化领导机会的重要性以及针对研究主题定制定性方法的价值具有重要意义。
