This study is a qualitative investigation of a person-centered support option called
micro boards. A micro board is a small non profit society comprised of family and friends
who assist persons with disabilities to develop individualized housing and support options.
Defining features of the micro board project include direct funding to individuals with
disabilities to secure housing and support options, freedom to choose where and with whom
to live, and autonomy in hiring and defining the nature of personal care and support.
Three persons with severe disabilities were the primary focus of this study. These
individuals required extensive supports in all aspects of daily living including feeding,
dressing, and mobility. They resided in three separate subsidized or cooperative living
arrangements in a large urban centre in the Province of British Columbia. Two organizations
central to the micro board project were also a focus of study.
The study period was eighteen months. Qualitative techniques were employed to
collect and analyze data regarding lifestyle quality in the micro board project, and
organizational assumptions and characteristics inherent in this support paradigm.
Results indicated that all three participants with disabilities experienced positive
lifestyle gains as a result of the micro board project. Direct funding and the freedom to
choose accommodation and individualized support structures were identified as axial to
lifestyle quality. Participants also experienced increased community participation and
expanding networks of social support as a result of the micro board project.
An analysis of the characteristics and themes embedded in the multiple case studies
identified five responsive organizational characteristics which contributed to the development of the micro board project, and assisted in the achievement of a quality life in
the community for the three participants in this study: willingness to change; inclusion of
persons with disabilities and their families in organizational policy; small, flexible support
structures; collaborative planning; and a holistic view of support grounded in social justice.
These results are discussed in relation to previous research done in this area.
Inferences are made about how factors such as lifestyle planning, empowerment, personal
perceptions of disability, and responsive support systems influenced lifestyle quality.
Parallels are drawn to related health care fields, and a restructuring of disability support is
explored. Limitations of the research are identified, and potential areas for further research
are suggested. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/6200 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Malette, Paul Hector |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 13855731 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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