The Dynamics of Social Inclusion of People with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Purpose: Social inclusion of people with disability is critical for maintaining social equity. The goal of this paper was to examine the dynamics of social inclusion of persons with spinal cord injury. Method: A cross-sectional research design was adopted to study the impact of individual, interpersonal, organisational, community and socio-political conditions on interpersonal relationships and community participation. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the measurement models. Structural equation modelling (SEM) in AMOS was used to derive results. Results: The individual, interpersonal, organisational, community and socio-political conditions strongly influence social inclusion of persons with spinal cord injury. The strongest influencer of community participation is socio-political conditions (β=0.692 and p=0.001) and the strongest influencer of interpersonal relationships is organisational conditions (β=0.677 and p=0.001). Conclusion: Social inclusion, measured by interpersonal relationships and community participation, can be enhanced by improving the individual, interpersonal, organisational, community and socio-political conditions, thereby contributing to social equity and sustainable performance.