The Treasure in Leisure Activities: Fostering Resilience in Young People who are Blind

Because leisure activities are often viewed as optional, their value to people with disabilities may not be recognized. This study explored the benefits of leisure activities for eight young people who are blind. These activities provided them with supportive relationships, a desirable identity, experiences of power and control, and experiences of social justice. They enabled the young people we studied to thrive despite adversity.

[1]  The National Sports Education Camps Project: Introducing Sports Skills to Students with Visual Impairments through Short-term Specialized Instruction , 2005 .

[2]  Robbie Gilligan,et al.  Adversity, resilience and young people: the protective value of positive school and spare time experiences , 2000 .

[3]  J. Eccles,et al.  Extracurricular Activities and Adolescent Development , 2003 .

[4]  N. Darling,et al.  Exploring adolescent self-defining leisure activities and identity experiences across three countries , 2005 .

[5]  James T. Neill,et al.  Adventure education and resilience: The double-edged sword , 2001 .

[6]  L. P. Rosenblum Perceptions of the Impact of Visual Impairment on the Lives of Adolescents , 2000 .

[7]  Nancy B. Ellis,et al.  Functional Performance in Older Adults , 1995 .

[8]  R. Hole Narratives of identity: A poststructural analysis of three Deaf women’s life stories , 2007 .

[9]  E. Werner Journeys from childhood to midlife: risk, resilience, and recovery. , 2004, Pediatrics.

[10]  Marion Brown,et al.  Distinguishing Differences in Pathways to Resilience Among Canadian Youth , 2008 .

[11]  C. Emden Conducting a narrative anlysis , 1998 .

[12]  K. Wolffe,et al.  The Lifestyles of Blind, Low Vision, and Sighted Youths: A Quantitative Comparison , 1997 .

[13]  A. J. Veal Leisure , 2011 .

[14]  M. Ungar A Constructionist Discourse on Resilience , 2004 .

[15]  N. Lin Foundations of social research , 1976 .

[16]  C. Emden Conducting a narrative analysis. , 1998, Collegian.

[17]  U. Kroksmark,et al.  Adolescence: The Age of Opportunities and Obstacles for Students with Low Vision in Sweden , 2001 .

[18]  Susan E. Chase,et al.  Narrative Inquiry: Multiple Lenses, Approaches, Voices. , 2005 .

[19]  J. Arnett Emerging adulthood. A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. , 2000, The American psychologist.

[20]  Y. Iwasaki,et al.  Culturally Meaningful Leisure as a Way of Coping with Stress among Aboriginal Individuais with Diabetes , 2006 .

[21]  S. Luthar,et al.  The construct of resilience: a critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. , 2000, Child development.