Out-of-school lives of physically disabled children and young people in the United Kingdom: A qualitative literature review

Abstract

Currently there appears to be few opportunities and little evidence of physically disabled children and young people (C&YP) participating in mainstream social activities. A qualitative review was undertaken to examine the factors affecting physically disabled C&YP (8–15 years) in the United Kingdom participating in out-of-school activities. Views and experiences were explored from the perspective of the service users and providers to assess current provision and to determine the need for future research into factors that may affect participation. Searches were conducted across eight databases, the references of the included studies were checked and the websites were searched. Studies that used a qualitative design that examined the views relating to out-of-school activities were included. Nine papers were identified, which included three peer-reviewed papers and six pieces of grey literature and pertinent government documents to include views and experiences of out-of-school activity provision. The main themes emerging from the review were the need for social inclusion, out-of-school activities run by volunteers and accessibility, with threads throughout, which require further research including parental influence, provision, training and attitudes. This review highlights the absence of the service user’s voice and sheds light on the limited provision and barriers affecting participation in out-of-school activities.