Background

Participation is a central aspect of quality of life, and it is indicative of high‐quality outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities. However, participation is difficult to achieve for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Aim

To describe staff members’ perceptions of what participation means for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Method

Using a phenomenographic approach, 27 interviews were analysed resulting in variations in the conditions for participation.

Results

The interviews revealed conditions for participation at individual, staff and organisational levels.

Conclusion

Participation appears to be an un‐reflected phenomenon, and several conditions must be met to achieve it. The conditions are experienced being fundamental for adults within the target group to achieve any kind of participation. The staff members and managers’ perceptions of participation as conditional can make it more difficult for adults within the target group to achieve the Swedish disability policy goal of participation.