Social Inclusion in Group Homes: Determining Facilitators and Barriers to Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Authors

  • Erin Rodenburg MSc, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph
  • Adrianna Decorso Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph
  • Deep Khosa Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph
  • Andrew Taylor Department of Psychology, University of Guelph
  • Jennifer McWhirter Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph
  • Andrew Papadopoulos Associate Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v10i1.732

Abstract

Social inclusion is central to positive life experiences for those with and without intellectual disabilities (ID). Unfortunately, those with ID experience high levels of social isolation. As group homes, one of the most common forms of community living, aim to provide an equitable quality of life for adults with disabilities, significant responsibility of promoting social inclusion falls to them. The intention of this review is to identify the facilitators and barriers associated with social inclusion for people with ID living in group homes to develop an evaluation framework. Five databases were searched, and inclusion/exclusion criteria were used to narrow the results to 21 articles. Four main categories of barriers and facilitators to inclusion became apparent in the literature: (1) Home characteristics and social inclusion, (2) Staff characteristics and social inclusion, (3) Organizational/Leadership characteristics and social inclusion, and (4) Resident characteristics and social inclusion. While the findings from these articles have been divided into four broad categories, it is acknowledged the identified barriers and facilitators are varied and highlight the important role of the group home and surrounding communities in promoting social inclusion of their residents. This review also highlights a gap in current literature surrounding social inclusion for those with ID. Overall, more emphasis on understanding the various pathways to achieving social inclusion from group home residents with ID could contribute to the creation of effective policy and practices.

Author Biographies

Erin Rodenburg, MSc, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

MSc, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Adrianna Decorso, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Deep Khosa, Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Andrew Taylor, Department of Psychology, University of Guelph

Department of Psychology, University of Guelph

Jennifer McWhirter, Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of

Guelph

Andrew Papadopoulos, Associate Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Associate Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Published

2021-03-04

How to Cite

Rodenburg, E., Decorso, A., Khosa, D., Taylor, A., McWhirter, J., & Papadopoulos, A. (2021). Social Inclusion in Group Homes: Determining Facilitators and Barriers to Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 10(1), 130–159. https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v10i1.732

Issue

Section

Articles