Uczestnictwo społeczne osób z niepełnosprawnościami : bariery i oczekiwania

This article constitutes an attempt to present certain aspects of the disabled people’s presence in social life. Their difficulties as well as personal potentials are demonstrated in the context of “the course of life” - i.e., particular determinants, which create individual stories on establishment of both, social and individual identity at various stages of human development. A perspective of social participation (especially in situations conditioned by a disability), may be defined as contextual and situational. On one hand, it is determined by the society and the possibilities to make use of laws and widely available goods, and on the other hand, it depends on the individual predispositions, motivations and endeavours. Hence, it semantically includes a complex association between a man’s ability to function in the world, and their social and physical environment. These areas are inseparably interconnected, and may include elements that obstruct or facilitate the individual’s activity in the social life. Therefore, there has been an attempt made to grasp these factors within a system of orthopedagogical influence, as well as within the context of socialisation. The presented theoretical analysis also allowed to draw conclusions which are crucial, from the space organisation perspective supporting integration of fully-abled and the disabled members of the society.