Friendships Between Persons With and Without Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Interpersonal connections, friendships, and belonging play important roles in a person's emotional and physical well-being. However, recent studies reveal that persons with developmental disabilities often live with few connections and friendships within unwelcoming communities. Through this qualitative study, we enter this relatively unexplored area of friendships between persons with and without developmental disabilities by interviewing four existing friendship dyads in the intentional community of L'Arche. In this research these friendships are described, factors that foster or inhibit their development are identified, and communal influences on the relationships are discussed.