Women with physical disabilities and the negotiation of leisure constraints

The purpose of this study was to enhance the conceptual understanding of the importance and meaning of constraints to leisure for women with physical disabilities. In-depth qualitative interviews with women with disabilities were used to obtain information about the experience and meanings of leisure. Symbolic interactionism provided the framework for conducting the study. Two major themes emerged relative to constraints to leisure: magnification of leisure constraints for women with physical disabilities, and strategies for negotiating constraints. The data suggested that leisure choices were not necessarily disability-determined, but the context of the disability influenced choices and constraints. Means for negotiating leisure constraints were explicated by examining the lives of women with physical disabilities.