Individuals in wheelchairs face various challenges such as mobility limitations and
health issues. Additionally, many of them also struggle with psychological challenges,
including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and social isolation, which includes
difficulties in participating in social activities and establishing relationships. Leisure
activities adapted for people with mobility impairments enable a more active life and
offer the possibility of engaging in competitive sports. Dance is a rich activity that, with
its positive effects, can bring about changes and provide meaning to the lives of people
with mobility impairments. It also serves as an important means of expression and
inclusion for individuals with special needs within dance communities. Sports activities
are a crucial factor for health as they are closely linked to an individual's identity, its
expression, and quality of life. Dancers in wheelchairs often participate in various
dance events, competitions, and performances, breaking stereotypes and barriers.
Despite limited mobility, they succeed in conveying a strong message and creating
exceptional and moving dance performances.
In the empirical part, 41 wheelchair dancers from Slovenia and Italy, who are engaged
in various dance genres, participated. We investigated which areas of quality of life
the participants rated the highest and which the lowest. The area rated the highest
was interpersonal relationships, while the area rated the lowest was the rights of the
individual. The aim of the thesis was also to determine which dance genres wheelchair
users engage in the most, their motives for dancing, the obstacles they face, and the
most common motives and obstacles. Participants are mostly involved in competitive
dance (para dance sport), specifically Latin and Standard dances, while other genres
were less represented. The main motivation for dancers to engage in dance is the
improvement of physical health, such as enhancing physical fitness (strengthening
muscles, improving flexibility, increasing overall physical condition) and rehabilitation.
Health issues were also their greatest obstacle due to physical limitations, fatigue,
pain, and other individual health problems.
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