The Lived Experience of Physical-Motor Disability Due to Traffic Accidents: A Phenomenological Study

A significant proportion of spinal cord injuries and physical-motor disabilities are caused by road traffic crashes. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of people with disability due to traffic accidents.

This study was conducted using a qualitative phenomenological approach. The participants were a purposive sample of physical-motor disabled people due to road traffic injuries referred to the rehabilitation centers in East Azerbaijan, Iran. Data were collected using individual in-depth interviews and analyzed with a thematic analysis including holistic, selective and detailed approaches.

The main theme extracted from the experience of the participants was “captive of destiny” with three sub-themes including ‘surrender of fate’, ‘living behind the fence’ and ‘drowning in disability and need’. Accordingly, participants considered themselves as the victims of destiny and believed living with disability is like living behind the fences of loneliness, frustration, regret, fear of future, pity and inefficiency.

This study revealed that spinal cord disability imposed irreversible restrictions on the participants’ lives, so that as dependent people, they needed support from others and, were desperate to recover their lost power, found them in the fate prison. Social support and empowerment of these people to overcome disability can improve their mental health and help them return to a normal life.