An inclusive society for all: An experimental study among elders with a disability in China

Abstract

The study aims to understand the life circumstances and social exclusion experienced by disabled older adults in urban Shanghai and Hong Kong. It also explores the relationship between social exclusion and quality of life. The researcher collected questionnaire data in one Shanghai and one comparable Hong Kong community. The survey included 460 older adults from a community in Shanghai and 250 older adults from a community in Hong Kong. The Shanghai sampling was stratified, and the Hong Kong sampling was multi-step random sampling, both processes are representative. Functional capacity and disability had a significant relationship with the quality of life of older adults. This implies that the social environment is not inclusive for disabled older adults in many ways. Neighborhood exclusion stood out as the most significant form of social exclusion. Although disability is more and more commonly understood as an element of human diversity, the disabled are still not fully functional in society. There are still many environmental barriers and social conditions that need to be improved to achieve community inclusion. Suggestions for how to achieve an inclusive society for all and especially for disabled elderly are discussed.