title: The experiences of participating in winter among youths with a physical disability compared with their typically developing peers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Having a physical disability and using a wheelchair can create difficulties in navigating the physical and built environment, especially during winter when snow and ice become problematic. Little is known about the experiences of winter among youth who use an assistive mobility device. This study aimed to understand how youth with a physical disability experience winter, compared with typically developing peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A purposive sample of 25 youths (13 with a physical disability; 12 typically developing) completed a 2-week weather journal and photographs in two Canadian cities during winter. These data were used to guide semi-structured interviews with participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Youths with disabilities experienced many similar challenges in winter, such as health and safety concerns and accessibility issues, compared with typically developing youth - but to a greater extent. Youths with disabilities reported more challenges going outdoors during winter and negative psychosocial impacts, including loneliness and increased dependence, compared with peers without a disability. They also, however, described developing several adaptive strategies to cope with these challenges.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a strong need to remove physical and environmental barriers to facilitate the participation and inclusion of youth with disabilities in winter.
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.|University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.|Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Quebec City, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.affiliation: School of the Environment, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.|Department of Environmental Studies, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yantzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.|Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Quebec City, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.affiliation: Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), Quebec City, QC, Canada.|Department of Geomatic Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Geomatics, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003080:Cold Temperature; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011792:Quebec; D012621:Seasons; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D012934:Social Isolation; D058992:Social Participation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D014887:Weather
keywords: climate; disability; participation; weather; winter