Community integration and inclusion are top priorities of the rehabilitation process following a newly acquired spinal cord injury (SCI). Integration into the community is a multi-faceted issue that refers to participation in society, including independent living, occupation, recreation, social activities and relationships with others. With the length of hospital stay following SCI decreasing, there is less time to prepare individuals for community integration. As a result, there is a need to thoroughly understand the factors that affect successful integration and inclusion, and to develop strategies to facilitate meaningful participation.
The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight current knowledge and innovations in the area of community integration and inclusion following SCI. Examples of possible topics include, but are not limited to:
Predictors, barriers and/or facilitators of community integration and inclusion
Participation outcomes following the transition to community living
Longitudinal research that examines how community integration changes over time
Availability of community resources and services
Perspectives of people living with SCI, caregivers and/or clinicians on community integration and inclusion
The role of peer-mentoring in community integration
Innovations in health services and delivery that target meaningful participation after SCI
Keywords: Community Integration, Disabled Persons, Environment, Rehabilitation, Spinal cord injury
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
