Environment and social participation are considered from a double perspective: discussion of existing results as they relate to disability policies; and consideration of new directions for research taking account of the data provided by the HID survey. First, a simple classification of the notions of environment and social participation is proposed on the basis of the HID questionnaires. The results point to the fact that the human environment is a crucial factor in choice of residence and in determining social relations. Information on social participation show the discrepancy between the disabled and the general population. With regard to environmental impact, it is proposed to devote more attention to the physical environment, not least for more objective analysis of choice of residence. Social participation is related to changing constructions of disability and in particular to the emergence of universalistic approaches. This leads to a recommendation that models be developed that reduce the complexity of disability-related questions, while taking full account of perceptions of their severity.