A survey of opportunities and barriers to creative leisure activity for people with learning disabilities

Abstract

This study examines an aspect of lifestyle that has received little attention, namely creative arts leisure occupations, and explores the opportunities and barriers to participation that confront community-dwelling adults with learning disabilities. A survey of managers of 34 residential homes in two major UK cities was carried out (reflecting a 54% return rate). They reported that art activities (including painting, and pottery) were the most commonly available form of creative leisure occupation, and drama the least available. Creative occupations tended to occur in specialist settings such as day centres and a minority of residents participated in mainstream community groups and environments. Managers perceived the major barrier to creative leisure participation to be expense (for the activity itself and the support staff). Further barriers included insufficient staff to accommodate individual’s personal interests , transport problems, and unwelcoming community resources/attitudes. The results indicate that many residents can engage in art, either within mainstream and specialist resources. Other active creative pursuits are not as accessible. Given its dependency on the voluntary return of questionnaires, the survey may have provided a benign view of creative leisure provision. Even so, the barriers that were identified confirm some continuing problems with accessing community/ mainstream facilities.