People with Disabilities Communities

Networks of Trust and Reciprocity

Relational connections enable persons of all ability levels to give what they have to offer in an effort to enhance the social life of the collective. These altruistic actions are accompanied by an understood element of reciprocity, which further supports the social good while fulfilling individuals' needs on an ongoing basis. The positive, long-term effects of having individual needs met through relational connections are evident in the establishment of social trust, strengthened relationships of mutual dependency, and creation of social capital. Networks of social connection provide individuals with avenues for helping others and channels for seeking help when needed. For disabled individuals, these networks are primary sources of care, friendship, and support.

Income and disability tend to be correlated, as those with disabilities are often at the lower end of socioeconomic markers. Education and income are also related to social networks. For example, people with higher education and higher income tend to have larger [Page 700]networks. These same characteristics are correlated with the proportion of nonfamily members in the network.

U.S. Navy Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Nathan DeWalt competes in the Warrior Games on May 12, 2010, in Colorado Springs. Since being paralyzed in a stateside accident, he networks with other injured veterans to raise funds for the Wounded Warriors program.

Disability is also often correlated with age, referred to as functional decline. As adults mature in the aging process, disability can manifest. Declines in the networks of older adults has been described mainly in terms of different life events such as widowhood, the death of network links, decline in resources, and geodemographic or migration patterns. The advantages of social networks in relation to disabilities in older adults are well documented.

Literature suggests that social networks may have strong positive effects for people with disabilities. The buffering effects of social networks may be quite powerful for elderly people and those of low socioeconomic status who have impaired physical functioning and who need to cope with the physical, psychological, and financial consequences of their limitations. In addition, social networks are associated with health outcomes such as a lower risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer mortality, and functional decline.

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