The discovery of disability: a phenomenological study of unilateral neglect.

OBJECTIVE Clients with right brain damage and unilateral neglect often lack awareness of their disabilities. This study examined how 4 participants with neglect experienced, discovered, and handled their disabilities in the context of their everyday life. METHOD The 4 participants were interviewed five to seven times during their rehabilitation process. The data were collected and analyzed using the EPP (empirical, phenomenological, psychological) method. FINDINGS Findings revealed seven features that described a discovery process for the 4 participants. During this process, each participant began to discover and understand the consequences of her unilateral neglect in the performance of everyday tasks. This increased understanding was a prerequisite to being able to use compensatory strategies. CONCLUSION By experiencing meaningful occupational situations, the participants gradually discovered and began to compensate for their disabilities in everyday life.