Community services for young adults with motor disabilities - a paradox.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the contribution of educational, employment, transportation, and assured income service programs to the successful transition to adulthood of young persons with motor disabilities.


METHODS
Personal interviews of 76 young adults ages 20 to 30 years with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (n = 54) or spina bifida (n = 22) varying in functional mobility. Content analysis of transcribed interviews was conducted and themes identified. Results. 'Paradox of Services' emerged as a dominant theme across all four service sectors. Services designed to encourage independence and full participation for the young adults in their communities often restricted their independence and employment options in young adulthood.


CONCLUSIONS
Services need to be more individualized and flexible to accommodate the environmental and personal needs of the young adults. Rehabilitation professionals have important roles at both an individual family level and the systems level to ensure the 'best fit' between persons with motor disabilities and the services available to them. Contemporary views of disability support rehabilitation intervention targeting both individual and environmental factors.
Darrah
Johanna
J
Department of Physical Therapy, 2-50 Corbett Hall, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2G4. johanna.darrah@ualberta.ca
Magill-Evans
Joyce
J
Galambos
Nancy L
NL
D000328:Adult; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education; D008297:Male; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D012946:Social Welfare; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014186:Transportation