Acta Iuris Stetinensis

The main theoretical aim of this work is to present the problem of fatherhood of men with disabilities in the context of the possibilities and limitations of the role in the perspective of social inclusion. The detailed objectives of the study involve an analysis of the meaning of fatherhood as a life role for the individual development of a man; description of the evolution of the male paradigm following the sociocultural changes of the 20th and 21st century; presenting the importance of the implementation of developmental tasks of early adulthood for the comprehensive revalidation and full social inclusion of a disabled man; a description of the limitations and possibilities of fulfilling the role of a father by a disabled man due to functional barriers resulting from the nature of the disability, the psychological condition of the man and the characteristics of his professional activity and the specific nature of the care and educational activities performed towards the offspring. The research methodology chosen involved an analysis and criticism of the literature to indicate the direction of the scholarly discussion in this realm. The main conclusions of the research were as follows: fatherhood was a key role in a man’s life, constituting a fundamental developmental task in early adulthood; under Polish law, a person with a disability may start a family, thus fulfill the life role of a father/mother; due to being a father a disabled man is encouraged to take up new challenges in his private, professional and social life, learning to compensate for the effects of his own disability; barriers to social inclusion of a man – a father with a disability – were: psychophysical and functional effects of disability, existential problems resulting from difficulties in supporting the family and the lack of full social acceptance for fulfilling the role of a father in the event of illness or disability, which translated into insufficient socio-economic solutions supporting “special families”.