Barriers and facilitators to participation for children and adolescents with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries – A scoping review

Abstract

Background: Research has shown that all children and adolescents have the right to participate in their everyday life. However, little is known about what impacts the participation of children and adolescents with disabilities living in low-and middle-income countries.

Objective: The present study undertakes a scoping review of research to synthesise the current literature about barriers and facilitators to participation in everyday life for children and adolescents with disabilities living in low- and middle-income countries.

Method: A scoping review was conducted. The databases Psyc INFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Pubmed, ERIC and African Wide information were searched for studies published between 2001 and April 2018. Data was analysed using deductive content analysis. The barriers and facilitators to participation were categorised into personal factors, social factors, environmental factors, and policy and programme factors.

Result: In the end, 17 articles were included for data extraction as they mentioned barriers and facilitators to participation for children and adolescents with disabilities. Most of the reviewed studies reported on barriers to participation. Only one of the studies was performed in a country classified as a low-income country; all other studies were performed in middle-income countries. The results indicate that some factors, especially social factors, could be perceived as both facilitators and barriers to participation.

Conclusion: There is a lack of studies describing barriers and facilitators in low- and middle- income countries. Barriers and facilitators in proximity to the child and family are most frequently described in the literature.