Study shows horses help people with disabilities feel valued and included
Swedish researchers found that horse-care activities significantly boost social inclusion and sense of purpose for people with intellectual disabilities. The work has implications for disability services, employers designing inclusive workplaces, and animal-assisted therapy programs seeking evidence-based approaches.
Originaltitel: ‘Everyone Has a Right to Be Needed’: Inclusion and Participation in Horse-Related Activities for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
<p>The right to participation and inclusion for persons with disabilities is stated in the CRPD (UN 2006). In this study we aim to discuss how participation and inclusion for persons with intellectual disabilities is constructed, negotiated, and experienced during daily activities in the social context of horse-related activities. </p><p>The study is based on ethnographic data gathered at two establishments, both of which keep horses and offer daily activities in line with the Swedish LSS Act (SFS 1993:387). </p><p>The main theme, Staging for inclusion, is a theoretical elaboration based on Goffman’s (1959) dramaturgical perspective, making sense of categories such as meaningful work and working side by side. Tasks are adapted to the individual’s capabilities enhancing feelings of being needed and belonging to the community of the stable. The horses play an important role due to their dependence on human care, thus adding another layer in the understanding of disability and animality.</p>