Research Paper
Therapy or human right? The meaning of recreation for children and youth with disabilities in the “Krembo Wings” youth movement

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Abstract

Background

Research shows that leisure or recreation promotes health, quality of life and wellbeing. Participation in leisure is also a fundamental right of people with disabilities. Studies report disparities in leisure participation between children and youth with and without disabilities. Youth movements are a form of leisure activity, and are of particular importance in Israeli society.

Objective

In this study we set out to explore how the youth movement Krembo Wings (KW) outlines the meanings of recreation for children and youth with disabilities. Our theoretical framework centers on the critical perspective of a disability study committed to disability rights.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study of KW. Data were drawn from multiple sources: published and unpublished documents, website materials, and semi-structured interviews with various key people in the movement. Data were analyzed through directed content analysis and were categorized into either the biomedical model or the social model of disability.

Results

Most of our findings show that KW adopts a biomedical understanding of disability. Nonetheless, indicators of the social model, though few, were also evident.

Conclusions

Although the biomedical model was found to be dominant in Israel, there are promising indicators of change. Our somewhat mixed findings might suggest that KW is at a transitional phase between biomedical thinking and a more rights-based approach.

Section snippets

Theoretical framework

Our theoretical framework centers on the critical perspective of a disability study committed to disability rights. The social model (or “minority group” model)18 of disability is widely held among scholars. It perceives disability as a socio-cultural construct, a product of the oppressive socio-cultural structure and, therefore, argues for changing disabling mechanisms, i.e., discriminatory social structures19 and the attainment of civil rights.18 The social model contrasts with the biomedical

Methods

Qualitative research methods were employed in order to test how KW defines meanings for recreation for children and youth with disabilities. In order to achieve a deeper understanding of the studied phenomenon, and obtain more and better evidence that will allow us to interpret it, we sampled data from various sources.30, 31

Biomedical model of disability

The vast majority of the data showed that KW's understanding of recreation for children and youth with disabilities is based on an individual, biomedical or charity model of disability.

Biomedical imagery was evident in the name of the YM; Krembo (literal translation: “cream on the inside” or “cream within”) is a popular Israeli sweet, a chocolate-covered marshmallow-like cream on a cookie. A KW pamphlet from January 2013 states that “Krembo is an Israeli sweet that is hand-wrapped because of

Discussion

In this study we set out to explore the ways in which KW assigns meanings to recreation for children and youth with disabilities. Our findings show that it adopts a rather mixed, at times contradictory, understanding of this subject.

Most of the YM's content and structure that we examined reflects biomedical hegemony, and assumes the superiority of “able-bodied” persons. KW perceives youth and children with disabilities as inherently different from non-disabled youth. While the latter are seen

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    Conflict of interest statement: The authors whose names are listed above certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest, or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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