This article emphasizes the perspective of users and analyses how adults with disabilities living in a residential care facility choose their home. It is based on interviews with 76 adults with motor impairments and who live in a residential care facility, in two French regions (Ile-de-France and Haute-Normandie). Faced with strong regional disparities in the supply of facilities, people with disabilities who live in institutions face particular constraints. Some interlinked and cumulative forms of inequalities are specific to this place. Entry into an institution is a choice made under constraints. People’s social capital, consisting of families and health professionals, plays an important role in the choice of the residential care facility : people with disabilities can go as far as a delivery of oneself (that is to say resignation or total delegation). Family proximity and accessibility of the environment have a decisive impact on the choice of the residential care facility. The residential care facility’s project, the architectural features and profile of other residents are also taken into account, but to a lesser degree.
Keywords
- accommodation
- disability
- residential choice
- institution
- residential care facility
- France.