Facilitating virtual social connections for youth with disabilities: lessons for post-COVID-19 programming.

Purpose: Social connections are essential for the development of life skills for youth. Youth with disabilities have long faced barriers to meaningful social connections. The onset of COVID-19 increased barriers to social connections for all youth, and also led to enhanced use of virtual platforms in paediatric rehabilitation programming. Harnessing this opportunity, service providers created a suite of online programs to foster social connections and friendships. The current study explores participant and service provider experiences of such programs.

Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used interviews and focus groups to explore how youth with disabilities (n = 8), their parents (n = 7), and service providers (n = 13) involved in program development and delivery experienced the programs, the accessibility of the virtual platforms, and their social connections in relation to program participation.

Results: Participants were satisfied with the programs' content, accessibility and ability to meet their social needs. Qualitative themes included facilitating social connections, accessibility of virtual spaces, and recommendations for future virtual programming.

Discussion: For youth with disabilities who have been historically marginalized in social spheres, the newly ubiquitous infrastructure regarding virtual programming must be supported and enhanced. A hybrid approach involving virtual/in-person options in future programming is recommended.