Det er godt sådan i det hele taget at kunne sige, hvad man vil og ikke vil” – Børn med funktionshæmning og deres refleksioner omkring deltagelse og indflydelse på eget liv

Abstract

When it comes to children with disabilities and their reflections on participation and influence intheir everyday lives, there is very little research. The study has a phenomenological-hermeneuticapproach and participatory methods over time. Together with three children aged 9–12 the studyexplores their experiences of participation and influence in their everyday lives based on article12 in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The children’s reflections are connected to therecognition theory of Axel Honneth. The children believe that it is important to be able to expresstheir own opinion and to have influence and that the main preconditions are a sense of feelingsecure and believing in oneself. At the same time, they are well aware of possible factors, whichcan affect their participation and influence, such as their own disability or the surroundings, towhich they relate. The study finally discusses how the relational approach to disability may relateto the children’s experience of recognition and ensuring their right to have a say.