Arab Refugees with Physical Disabilities

Background and Purpose: A series of global crises – the war on terror and its subsequent geopolitical disruptions, climate change, and political and economic instability – has created new waves of refugees, primarily from the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America. Among these refugees are people with physical disabilities (PWD). While all refugees require support and encounter challenges to adapting to their resettlement countries, those with physical disabilities face additional barriers to successful resettlement and integration into their resettlement communities. These additional barriers include access to accessibility services for alternative communication methods, orientation and mobility assistance, disability-specific medical support, as well as social support to alleviate social isolation due to their disability. Finally, PWD require specific guidance through the various bureaucracies of disability. This study aims to explore the resettlement journeys of PWD and the barriers they have and continue to face.

Methods: In this qualitative research project, refugees with physical and sensory disabilities in Austin, Texas, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process. Participant narratives were captured and analyzed to determine the scope of the barriers and challenges they have faced during resettlement and to find commonalities within the resettlement process for refugees with physical disabilities.

Results: Data analysis uncovered four themes that captured many of the barriers faced by Arab refugees with physical and sensory disabilities: Language Acquisition, Transportation, Healthcare, and Social Isolation

Conclusions and Implications: This research study has revealed other avenues for research and practical application. Programs for refugees and social services remain inaccessible to those with physical disabilities and so a program for refugees with physical disabilities that helps them navigate the social and healthcare systems in their resettlement country is critical. Further research into the challenges this population faces in resettlement and how communities and service providers can help overcome barriers to success is needed. Additionally, this topic impacts multiple disciplines and academic interests, therefore collaboration between scholars across those disciplines should be engaged.