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Inclusion, Equity and Access for Individuals with Disabilities pp 41–65Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Understanding Negative Attitudes Toward Disability to Foster Social Inclusion: An Australian Case Study

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Abstract

Negative attitudes toward disability remain prevalent as evidenced by research throughout Western countries—including Australia—despite decades of inclusion policy and practice. What is less understood are the types of negative attitudes experienced by people with disability and the settings in which they are experienced. A more sophisticated understanding of negative attitudes may provide the nuanced knowledge to inform policy and practice. This chapter outlines findings from the Australian “1 in 4 Poll Attitudes Survey,” that surveyed adults with a disability throughout Australia about their experience of negative attitudes toward disability. The Poll was conducted by Deakin University in partnership with Scope—a Victorian disability service provider. The findings from the “1 in 4 Poll” offer a more detailed analysis of specific attitudes experienced and needing to be changed, the settings they are experienced in and the differential experience of people with different disabilities. This data helps us better target attitude change interventions, such as by selecting and presenting personal accounts about people with disability that challenge specific attitudes held about that group, as well as the settings these most often occur in.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The NDIS is an Australian national scheme that was launched across trial sites in 2013. The scheme seeks to assist people with disability through the provision of individualized funding, plans, and support. The stated aim is to provide individuals with more choice and control over their supports, with a shift in funding provision from service providers to individuals.

  2. 2.

    The poll followed a first poll, conducted in 2010/2011, that sought the experiences of adult Australians with disability in relation to social inclusion. One finding from this first poll was that negative attitudes were identified by respondents to be the main barrier to social inclusion. This led to the following survey focusing on negative attitudes to further explore them in greater detail.

  3. 3.

    Goreczny et al. (2011), Godan et al. (2008), Vilchinsky et al. (2010), Gething and Wheeler (1992), Celik et al. (2010), Yuker et al. (1970), Yuker and Hurley (1987), Staniland (2011), Gething (1994), ComRes (2011), Findler et al. (2007), Grewal et al. (2002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Deakin University, ‎Burwood, VIC, Australia

    Boon Siong Tan, Erin Wilson, Robert Campain & Kevin Murfitt

  2. Scope, ‎Hawthorn, VIC, Australia

    Nick Hagiliassis

Authors
  1. Boon Siong Tan
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  2. Erin Wilson
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  3. Robert Campain
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  4. Kevin Murfitt
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  5. Nick Hagiliassis
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Correspondence to Erin Wilson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, University of Calcutta, Alipore Campus, Kolkata, India

    Santoshi Halder

  2. Department of Special Education, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece

    Vassilios Argyropoulos

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Tan, B.S., Wilson, E., Campain, R., Murfitt, K., Hagiliassis, N. (2019). Understanding Negative Attitudes Toward Disability to Foster Social Inclusion: An Australian Case Study. In: Halder, S., Argyropoulos, V. (eds) Inclusion, Equity and Access for Individuals with Disabilities. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5962-0_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5962-0_3

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-5962-0

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