Belonging involves mutuality, agency, and acceptance: An ethnographic exploration of belonging with adults labelled with intellectual disability.

Abstract

An experience of belonging is commonly absent in the lives of adults labelled with intellectual disability, negatively impacting health, well-being, and quality of life. This ethnographic study, informed by critical disability and feminist relational theory, explored the belonging experiences of five adults labelled with intellectual disability in a Canadian city. Using participatory methods, the research identified mutuality, agency, and acceptance as key factors shaping their experiences. Findings emphasize the role of genuine relationships, the connection between agency and belonging, and the need to continue to build community capacity to embrace diversity. Findings call for further research exploring the relationship between belonging, mutuality, agency, and acceptance as one step towards collectively supporting the social inclusion of people labelled with intellectual disability. This work demonstrates how spaces, places, and relationships of belonging identified by people labelled with intellectual disability have generative potential - acting as promising examples of the conditions that enable belonging to flourish.