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Personal Factors and Access to Businesses: Perceptions of People with Aphasia

  • Author / Creator
    Auch, Leah
  • The current study investigated the relationship between participation at businesses (i.e., business access) and the personal factors (i.e., the identity, attitudes, and feelings) of people with aphasia (PWA). Five PWA were interviewed about their business experiences in Edmonton, Alberta, and how these experiences impacted and were impacted by their personal factors. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and organized into six themes which represented this reciprocal relationship between business access experiences and personal factors. Three of the six themes were related to how personal factors impacted the business interaction: 1) participant expectations of businesses, 2) self-advocacy, and 3) participant perspectives on aphasia and disability. The other three themes represented the impact of business experiences on participant’s personal factors: 4) impact on thoughts and beliefs, 5) future expectations and actions, and 6) lasting feelings. Participants described ways that personal factors were supports and hinderances to their access to businesses, and ways that positive and negative business experiences impacted their personal factors. Ultimately, this study highlighted the need to consider personal factors in the research, assessment, intervention, and advocacy efforts with PWA in order to maintain a holistic perspective of the person with aphasia and promote their quality of life.

  • Subjects / Keywords
  • Graduation date
    Spring 2023
  • Type of Item
    Thesis
  • Degree
    Master of Science
  • DOI
    https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-gkv7-g580
  • License
    This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.