The purpose of this study is to examine the spatial factors that aggravate the parenting burden of mothers of children with developmental disabilities. In a space centered on adults without disabilities, families of children with developmental disabil...
The purpose of this study is to examine the spatial factors that aggravate the parenting burden of mothers of children with developmental disabilities. In a space centered on adults without disabilities, families of children with developmental disabilities experience spatial difficulties in various dimensions, and this is highly likely to increase the burden of child rearing. However, the research related to disability-space in the past focused only on absolute space, preventing us from approaching the essential problem of spatial difficulties. In this context, considering both absolute and relational spaces, the difficulties experienced by mothers of children with developmental disabilities in space were examined and how spatial factors aggravate the burden of child rearing were analyzed. To this end, a phenomenological and qualitative research method was conducted to examine spatial factors that aggravate the burden of child rearing. As a result of the study, three central themes were derived: ‘Living in unequal private space’, ‘Public space that does not consider the existence of children with disabilities’, and ‘Relational space that places the responsibility of care on families and women’. In the end, the cause of aggravating the burden of care for mothers of children with developmental disabilities can be summarized as “an unequal absolute and relational space”. Due to the unequal absolute and relational space, the spatial experience, life range, and taste of mothers of children with developmental disabilities were reduced. In addition, it was revealed that the mother and the child with developmental disabilities were recognized as a unit, emphasizing the responsibility of caring for the mother. Based on the results of this study, spatial intervention plans were presented in detail by dividing them into micro-system, mid-range system, and macro-system.