Leisure Needs as Perceived And Experienced By Deaf Adults

Introduction - Leisure services are introduced to communities, to develop and maintain health, wellness and quality of life for all people. Deaf people are often victims of marginalization in terms of mainstream activities, including recreation and leisure, resulting in unique leisure needs and experiences. In South Africa, despite the equal rights of access to leisure and recreational opportunities, persons with disabilities are deprived the opportunity to participate in recreational activities. However, leisure and recreation providers need to anticipate the needs of people with disability, as failure to do so may create unwelcoming and uncomfortable environments that can exclude people with disabilities. It is noted that the needs of people with disabilities, as far as leisure and recreation are concerned, comprise of thoughtful and inclusive leisure services. It is important for leisure service providers to avoid the one-size-fits-all criteria, as this marginalizes people with disabilities in terms of their leisure choices. Approach - The purpose of this study was to explore leisure needs and experiences of Deaf adults in the North West Province. A qualitative research design, utilizing face-to-face, semi-structured interviews, followed to collect data from 13 young Deaf adults. The study strictly focused on Deaf adults with severe or profound hearing loss. Individuals with additional medical conditions or forms of disability were excluded from the study, because their additional disabilities may have an influence on their leisure needs and experiences. Average time for the interviews was 50 minutes. In each interview, a qualified sign language interpreter was present, specifically trained for this study, to ensure that communication was feasible between the researcher and the participants. Ethical clearance was obtained from the NWU Ethics committee (NWU-00081- 15-A1). From the transcribed interviews, four (leisure meaning, leisure participation activities, leisure activities encounter experiences and need for diverse activities) themes were generated. The results showed that for leisure meaning, Deaf adults perceived it as being an activity, time, and an experience. Furthermore, leisure participation activities, such as soccer, swimming, chess, rugby, and athletics, were the main activities engaged in by Deaf adults. Additionally, positive and negative experiences encountered by the participants included enjoyment, a sense of expressing themselves and anger. Lastly, the participants were of the opinion that more leisure activities, such as having a barbeque, going to the movies, socializing, engaging in hula-hoops, travelling overseas and playing, should also be included to satisfy their leisure needs and levels. Conclusion - The study concluded that all-inclusive leisure activities that could lower the levels of vulnerability in Deaf persons should be established. In conclusion, marginalization of Deaf adults is not justifiable, as evident from the results of the study and the experiences derived from participating in leisure activities.

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