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Background: Disability is an evolving concept that results from the complex interaction between a person with an impairment and the context in which he/she lives. There is limited understanding on the types, access and use of community assets valuable for people with disabilities, and the role of contextual factors in Colombia. Our goal with this work was to identify the factors at the levels of the socio-ecological framework, and their interaction, that influence the use of community assets among people with physical disabilities and community stakeholders in Envigado, Colombia., Methods: Using participatory mapping, a community based participatory approach, we carried out an assessment of community assets identified by people with disabilities and rehabilitation professionals. In-depth interviews (n = 32) informed the design of two participatory mapping activities, one among people with disabilities (n = 5) and a second with rehabilitation professionals (n = 4). Results were presented in a community forum to receive feedback on the findings., Results: Main findings indicate a chain of contextual factors that limit access and use of assets stemming from the personal (e.g. financial resources, inaccessible housing), interpersonal level (e.g. lack of a personal assistance or aid), and community levels (e.g. lack of accessible public transportation and inaccessible buildings). In most cases these barriers are heightened by system level barriers (e.g. lack of effective enforcement of the legal framework)., Conclusions: Identifying these contextual factors, and their interactions, calls for stronger enforcement of the existing legal framework through articulated work between different stakeholders, so that people with disabilities can enjoy community assets.

Background: Despite representing 70 million people in Latin America, access to comprehensive rehabilitation and participation in the community remains a challenge for persons with disability (PWDs) in the region. Through enactment of the Disability Law, Colombia has made improvements to recognize and address some of the barriers for PWDs, including access to comprehensive rehabilitation. However access remains limited with significant disconnect between perspectives of various stakeholders and the needs of the population. We examined the unique perceptions on access to comprehensive rehabilitation services and participation of PWDs. We also explored the perspective of caregivers of PWDs, rehabilitation professionals, and other stakeholders on the experiences of PWDs. Our goal was to identify gaps in the implementation of comprehensive rehabilitation programs, and barriers to access resources for comprehensive rehabilitation or services that would impact participation of PWDs., Methods: Qualitative study conducted in 2017. Data was collected from a purposive sample of adults with physical disability, aged 18-44 years, who had received rehabilitation services at a local partner organization and with different backgrounds and experiences with disability. Purposive sampling was also conducted with caregivers, rehabilitation professionals, and other stakeholders. Socio-demographic information was collected and semi-structured interviews were conducted by a research team member, recorded, transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis method to identify main themes related to our aim. CES University ethical review board approved this study., Results: Thirty-two participants were interviewed: eight were male, 42.1 ± 11.1 years old, and 44% (n = 14) were PWDs. Three main themes were identified among all the participants: the meaning of rehabilitation, challenges to access services, and participation. Challenges to access services had three sub-themes: barriers to personal mobility, perceptions and knowledge on disability, and navigating the system., Conclusion: The main focus of rehabilitation as perceived by stakeholders is still on functional rehabilitation. If healthcare personnel is better trained on disability and if those with disabilities are actively involved in the developing these programs, the focus may evolve to a comprehensive and equitable rehabilitation process that fosters full participation.