Narratives of Leisure: recreating the self

Utilising insights from narrative theory this paper explores the role of narrative in the everyday leisure experiences of people with a mild intellectual disability. Drawing on our experiences with an Australian leisure service Live it UP! we develop the connection between leisure and storytelling in order to open up an innovative approach to working with individuals. The stories of people's capabilities that we draw on run counter to a dominant cultural story of lack associated with disability. Through a post-structuralist analysis we argue that narratives of leisure are a powerful social medium with the potential to produce change in an individual's life and immediate social relationships. Such an understanding is crucial for the development of alternative leisure support services which identify the person's needs, challenging the social positioning of people with an intellectual disability.