The role of race and ethnicity in leisure participation among children and youth with disabilities: a systematic review

Racial and ethnic minoritized children and youth with disabilities participate less often in structured leisure activities compared to their white peers and yet, little is known about the role of race/ethnicity in their participation. The purpose of this review was to understand the role of race/ethnicity in leisure participation of children and youth with disabilities.
We systematically assessed peer-reviewed studies published from 2000 to 2023 in six international databases. We independently screened and identified thirteen studies meeting our inclusion criteria.
Three themes emerged from our findings: (1) rates of leisure participation; (2) factors affecting leisure participation (i.e., ableism and racism; fear of harassment and safety; systemic factors; disability-related factors and intersectional factors); and (3) benefits and impact of culture on leisure participation (i.e., perceived benefits of leisure participation; perceived constraints of leisure participation; parents’ advocacy; importance of family participation).
Findings revealed how disability and racial discrimination, systemic factors, cultural preferences, and availability of financial resources all shape leisure experiences and rate of participation for racial/ethnic minoritized children and youth with disabilities. Future research should explore the impact of culture on leisure participation in more depth.

Understanding what leisure means to racial/ethnic minoritized parents of children with disabilities could help pediatric rehabilitation therapists to facilitate meaningful and culturally sensitive leisure programs.
A multi-faceted approach is needed to improve leisure participation of racial/ethnic minoritized children and youth with disabilities, which involves parents/caregivers, leisure providers, community stakeholders, and children and youth with disabilities.
Rehabilitation clinicians and recreational therapists should consider designing new or adapting existing leisure programs that align with the culture and preferences of racial/ethnic minoritized children and youth with disabilities to support their participation.

Understanding what leisure means to racial/ethnic minoritized parents of children with disabilities could help pediatric rehabilitation therapists to facilitate meaningful and culturally sensitive leisure programs.
A multi-faceted approach is needed to improve leisure participation of racial/ethnic minoritized children and youth with disabilities, which involves parents/caregivers, leisure providers, community stakeholders, and children and youth with disabilities.
Rehabilitation clinicians and recreational therapists should consider designing new or adapting existing leisure programs that align with the culture and preferences of racial/ethnic minoritized children and youth with disabilities to support their participation.