Factors associated with public attitudes towards persons with disabilities: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective The aim of this review is to identify and summarize factors that are associated with public attitudes towards people with various disabilities systematically. Methods An electronic search of three databases was performed (Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane) covering the period from 1950 to present. A comprehensive search strategy was developed and the lists of citations were screened for potential eligible studies. Only quantitative studies using valid measurements were included, and the methodological quality of included studies was appraised based on three criteria (sample, measurement, analysis) by two independent reviewers. Results The initial electronic search yielded 995 articles after duplicates removed, and 27 studies met the eligibility criteria were included in the study. Three categories of the factors were found to be associated with the public attitudes, which are related to the attitude provider, disabled people, and society respectively. Specifically, the more people know about disabilities, the more likely they were to have positive attitude; and the frequency and quality of the contact with the disabled are also proved to be influential to the attitudes. Meanwhile, the type of disability is also closely correlated to the public’s attitude towards the disabilities. Conclusion People’s knowledge of the disability and their contact with individuals with disabilities are the main influential factors in public attitudes towards persons with disabilities.

Attitudes of Students of Social Sciences and Humanities towards People with Physical Disabilities (MAS-PL)

“…As shown by the literature review, the sex variable often differentiates declared attitudes. In general, females have a more positive attitude towards people with disabilities than males [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. Similar relationships were observed in Polish studies, e.g., the MAS-PL study conducted by Radli ńska et al [19].…”

“…The review analysed only quantitative studies using valid measurements, and the methodological quality of the included studies was appraised based on three criteria (sample, measurement, and analysis). It was found that sex, age, and education were the most frequently analysed demographic factors influencing attitudes towards people with disabilities [28].…”

“…The observed inconsistency in the results may have been related to the specific characteristics of the respondents in the studies. Additionally, there may have been an effect of other uncontrolled factors, e.g., knowledge of people with disabilities or contact with such persons [28].…”

“…As shown by the literature review conducted by Wang et al, most of the reviewed publications indicated either a positive correlation between the level of education and attitudes or no such relationship. People with higher education levels were found to be more liberal and open-minded with understanding for people with disabilities and related issues, hence their better attitude towards the disabled [28].…”

People with Disabilities in the Workplace: Results of a Survey Conducted among Polish and Finnish Employers

“…The results of the research conducted by many teams of scientists indicate that the low level of knowledge about disability is one of the main causes of unfavourable social perception of PwD, and consequently a barrier to their effective inclusion [8][9][10]. The key aspect of the inclusion of PwD in the workplace is how they are perceived by employers.…”