Attitudes to disability :outlook and behaviour of physically handicapped (and non-handicapped) people in relation to disability

Abstract

The thesis reviews literature concerned with attitudes toward physical handicap and irivestigates the view that the attitudes of society, in general, are influenced by exposure to physical handicap. Four "matched" groups, disabled, those who cared for the disabled, and two groups of able-bodied people, active participants and passive observers, respectively, were interviewed and through the completion of , attitude scales and discussions were found to have different responses and characteristics in areas indicated by the study. Each group contained 192 respcadents. In the two able-bodied groups, the respondents were "matched" to the handicapped respondents by area of residence, sex, " age-range , marital status, employmsnt and educational level consistent with the handicapped persons at the time of known onset or occurrence of disability. The handicapped were persons who had received between the age of 18 years and 60 years sow permanent physical handicap and had experienced the condition for a period of more than two years. They were also free from residential treatment and care at a hospital or similar institution. The thesis records the differences between the different groups and indicates some of the reasons given by the respondents for the different situatiors. Conclusions are drawn fron the findings as to how the overall position mag be improved and ways i n which physically handicapped people can be helped socially. Some possible outcomes are also indicated. In particular, it was found that the principal social barriers influencing the integration physically handicapped people community life were: - (a) negative attitudes toward the handicapped which seemed to arise from the belief that they were fundamentally different from the able-bodied, (b) discriminatory behaviour which revealed itself in either individual, institutional or ideological discrimination, and (c)issues involved with the socio-economic conditions of the community