Social support networks – the importance of social networks for disabled people in dealing with difficult situations

The main purpose of the article is to show social support of people with disabilities from a structural perspective.This perspective shows the relationship between the structure of social networks of people with disabilities and the actions they take in difficult situations.The very level of embedding of individuals in social networks is an important factor enabling them to benefit from social support and resources that are available in social networks.Without social relationships with people who form social environments of an individual, people with disabilities cannot rely on help in overcoming difficulties.Support is not possible without the presence of others who are willing to provide it.The analysis will be based on data collected in Social Diagnosis in 2015, which will allow reconstructing the size of social networks of people with disabilities in terms of their number of interactions with family, friends and acquaintances.