SOCIAL INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: AN ALTERNATIVE WORK IN FRONT DISABILITY

Abstract

The purpose of this participative action research was to develop and evaluate with the community, the perception of a program based on a socio ecological model for the social inclusion of people with disabilities and their families who live in a community of the municipality of Chia, in Colombia. The project was developed in three phases. During the planning phase, the researchers identified the meanings of “disability condition” that are given by the patients, their families and the support networks and it was found that these were related to the difficulties disabled people and their families must face in their daily living and how this condition might allow them to recognize their sheer value and potential. During the second phase of action and the third phase of evaluation, 14 people with disabilities, their caregivers, 14 community leaders and a team formed by nursing, psychology and education professionals were involved in the construction and development of the model. The identification of available resources was carried out through interviews, focal groups and community forums using strategies such as the tree and the sun metaphors. The results show that the personal and family development nucleus is accomplished from the perception of welfare and support. The community development nucleus is accomplished
from the social support, the satisfaction of needs, and the identification of resources and resource generation.