Raymond, Émilie <br/><br/>
Representations of disability in organizations for elderly people: Conditions and limitations on inclusion 

 -  2019.<br/>							 
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<br/><br/> Although the social participation of elderly people has attracted sustained attention, knowledge on the realities faced by elderly people that are unable to engage in participation remains limited. At a time when demographic factors mean that the number of elderly people with disabilities is growing, it is urgent to consider how best to encourage people with disabilities to participate in community life, particularly through social policies and programs that better acknowledge their needs and more welcoming associations. Social representations are formed from socially constructed opinions regarding a given object and make it possible to understand and take ownership of the environment based on symbolic elements associated with a social group. Thus, social representations of disability may either support or impede social participation by elderly people with disabilities. This article aims to document the social representations that exist within associations and community organizations for elderly people regarding participation by this group. Using a mixed methods research design, an exploratory sequential design was applied, in which the first, qualitative, phase involved the creation of four focus groups, while the second, quantitative, phase consisted of a questionnaire administered to eighty-six respondents. The results are presented according to the four functions of social representations: (1) knowledge, (2) identity, (3) orientation, and (4) justification. Interpretation of the results suggests recommendations for deconstructing and modifying representational aspects that are unfavorable to inclusion.