'We're Not Really Into Helping, We're Into Being Useful': Service Provider Practices That Support Belonging Opportunities in the Lives of Adults Labelled With Intellectual Disabilities.
Paige Reeves, David McConnell, Shanon K Phelan
PMID 40396555WHAT IT FOUND
Participants described service provider practices they said supported belonging: centering rights, helping people explore dreams, and connecting them to people and places.
Key findings
01Three themes described service provider practices that support belonging: centering belonging, inclusion and rights; creating opportunities for self-exploration and dreaming; and facilitating connections to people and place.
02Leaders said providers should move beyond simply asking people what they want, because internalised oppression can make it hard to articulate desires.
03Facilitating connection involved preparing ahead, finding community insiders, focusing on similarities, and negotiating when support workers step in or step back.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and purposive, so it cannot show how common these practices are. The study was done in an urban setting in Alberta, so it may not fit other places. Leaders were selected for innovative, unique and counter-cultural work, so dominant practices may be missing. Participants helped generate data but not analysis, so interpretations are researchers' own. The paper reports experiences and practices, not outcomes, so it cannot show that these practices improve belonging.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. A non-profit disability service provider partner helped shape the research questions, assisted recruitment and collaborated in designing and sharing community-based knowledge products.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that a service model increases belonging. The study reports selected providers' and participants' experiences in an urban setting, not a tested intervention or outcome.