(Not) Going Out and Barriers to Leaving the House for People With Intellectual Disabilities Through the COVID‐19 Pandemic in the UK

Abstract

BackgroundPeople with intellectual disabilities commonly experience multiple barriers to ‘going out’.AimsThis paper explores what barriers prevented people from going out, and if the extent and nature of going out changed over time for people with intellectual disabilities as the COVID‐19 pandemic progressed.MethodsData are drawn from a wider study that explored, at four time points, the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities through the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.FindingsThe number of people leaving the house for almost all reasons increased over time through the pandemic, except for some outdoor participation and exercise. However, there was a significant decrease in outdoor exercise at the final time point of the study. Reliance on other people and a lack of availability of support were identified as barriers.ConclusionA combination of factors restricted the extent to which people were going out even after COVID‐19 protections were lifted.