Ubiquitous Yet Unique

Abstract

This exploratory study was grounded in a qualitative framework and used a focus group method to examine the meanings that individuals with disabilities (e.g., permanent mobility impairments, sensory impairments) attach to their experiences of stress, as well as major sources or causes of stress in these individuals' lives. Overall, the data showed that stress is an inherent and central part of everyday life for individuals with disabilities. The meanings attached to stress emphasized the personal anxiety and discomfort that affected, most often in negative ways, the participants' physical, psychological, emotional, and social functioning. Counterbalancing this negative focus, most of the participants agreed that stress could be a positive and constructive motivator for stimulating personal action and growth, bringing about positive life changes, enhancing personal awareness, and aiding in solving problems. Interpretation of the sources or causes of stress data produced two theme clusters. The individual theme cluster comprises (a) disability (i.e., added demands in daily living and the complications of disability and aging), (b) health, (c) interpersonal relationships, and (d) the inability to meet expectations. The systemic/ environmental cluster incorporates four sources of stress: (a) exclusionary social systems/ structures, (b) physical accessibility, (c) employment accessibility, and (d) economic marginality. In an effort to integrate these distinct yet interrelated themes, an emergent model is proposed in which social exclusion is used as the overarching conceptual framework for understanding the findings specific to sources or causes of stress. Implications of the findings for rehabilitation counseling for individuals with disabilities also are discussed.