Introduction: Free time is everyone's need and right, and meaningful leisure activities or occupations are a condition for maintaining health and life balance. Involvement in leisure activities is often a challenge for people with intellectual disabilities, that’s why it is important that the occupational therapist is involved in planning their quality leisure time. In addition to the well-being of people with intellectual disabilities, they also strengthen the skills needed to independently carry out activities in other areas of human activity. The quality of free time can be improved by the aids of information and communication technology. Purpose: We wanted to get a better insight into how people with intellectual disabilities who live in an institution spend their free time. We were interested in what free time means to them, how they spend it and what their experiences are with using information and communication technology devices. Methods: We used a qualitative research approach. We obtained the data through a semi-structured interview, which we conducted with five users of the training, work and care center. We qualitatively analyzed their answers. Results: In the content analysis, we formed four categories: the importance of free time, spending free time, satisfaction with free time and the use of technology in free time. We found that, despite the lack of understanding of the concept of free time, the research participants know how to distinguish free time from non-free time and define it as a time when they feel good. Listening to music, watching TV, walking, resting, playing sports, drinking coffee, and driving a van dominate among leisure activities. They are generally satisfied with their free time, but they would like more activities outside their housing unit and greater accessibility of leisure information and communication technology. They mostly use technology in their free time to listen to music. Discussion and conclusion: Involvement in meaningful and varied leisure activities is very important for the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities. Information and communication technology can significantly contribute to this kind of inclusion, provided that it is accessible and that the individual knows how to use it safely. Occupational therapists should pay more attention to the study and planning of leisure activities of persons with intellectual disabilities, use information and communication technology as a tool for quality leisure time, and adapt it to the individual needs of persons with intellectual disabilities.
|
