Experiences of wheelchair users accessing buildings of entertainment frequented by young adults in Malta

Abstract

This research explores the experiences of young adult wheelchair users on matters concerning wheelchair accessibility in entertainment. Specifically the study delves into two aspects of physical accessibility. These are the wheelchair access to buildings providing entertainment and wheelchair access to the facilities, goods and services provided within entertainment establishments. The methodology employed for the study was a qualitative design. Emancipatory disability research principles based on the social model of disability were adopted for this study. The study involved six young adult wheelchair users who were recruited to take part in the research. The data was collected by means of interviews and participant observation which consisted of accompanying the research participants on an individual basis to an entertainment venue of their own choice. Both the findings of the interviews and the participant observation were analysed through the social model of disability (UPIAS, 1976) which was used as the major framework in conjunction with three other concepts. The concepts are Universal Design (United Nations, 2016), de Certeau’s (1984) idea of strategy and tactics in the physical environment and Imrie’s (2014) concept of disability in geography focusing on the built environment. The findings that emerged from the study include a range of themes. These are physical access, inequality, segregation and exclusion, dignity, dependence, decreased spontaneity, political will, thorough planning and attitudinal barriers. For wheelchair users to participate in entertainment and leisure activities and visit entertainment establishments is a continuous challenge. The findings also show that wheelchair users want to entertain themselves in their free time in the same ways like non-wheelchair users. However, due to accessibility issues and the struggles wheelchair users encounter their opportunities to entertain themselves are restricted. These opportunities of engaging in entertainment of their own choice, socializing, creating new and possible significant relationships improve their general well-being by means of entertainment and leisure. Inaccessibility shows that the wheelchair user population is not being given the same rights as other citizens. Consequently the issue of accessibility needs to be strongly addressed in order to have wheelchair users on the same platform with the rest of the population. On the other hand the theme of attitudinal barriers indicates that the origin and underlying factor of why people with disability become disabled is a societal creation (UPIAS, 1976). The study has presented a number of recommendations as a means to resolving this injustice. Primarily, to implement Universal Design (Universal Design, 2016) hence provide accessibility of public spaces and entertainment establishments which will be beneficial for all people. Another major recommendation called for by this study is to launch a disability awareness campaign to provide a better understanding of disability issues.