The Perceived Influence of the Environment on Social Participation among Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

Since the acknowledgement of the impact of the environment in a recent issue in rehabilitation following spinal cord injury (SCI), the purpose of the study was to identify the main environmental facilitators and obstacles to social participation and whether or not the perceived influence of the environment on participation differs according to personal characteristics of individuals with SCI. Results suggest most primary environmental facilitators are related to the social environment while the main obstacles mainly come from the physical environment. Moreover, the perceived influence of environment varies among individuals according to differences in their intrinsic characteristics. This subjective approach based on the person’s perception is a good indicator of how one’s participation is influenced by his/her own specific environment.