Prejudice Extends To Disabled People

When it comes to prejudice against people with a disability, it is just as likely to come from a disabled as a non-disabled person, according to a new study. And not only are disabled people as likely to be prejudiced, there is also a tendency to rank impairments in terms of how undesirable they are.

When it comes to prejudice against people with a disability, it is just as likely to come from a disabled as a non-disabled person, according to a new study. And not only are disabled people as likely to be prejudiced, there is also a tendency to rank impairments in terms of how undesirable they are.

The report, Disabled People’s Attitudes Toward Other Impairment Groups, from City University, London was compiled from anonymous questionnaires. Mark Deal, the study’s author, says it is likely to shock because it seems to reveal an almost identical view of a “hierarchy” of disability among disabled people and wider society. For example, disabled and non-disabled people regard those with a learning disability or a mental illness as the least desirable groups.

Deal, who conducted the research as part of his PhD studies, says his interest in the issue was triggered by personal experiences. As a disabled person, and in his capacity as research and development manager at Enham, a charity providing residential care support and training for disabled people, he has encountered many instances of prejudicial attitudes.

“I had seen it so many times and started asking myself: ‘Why would a wheelchair user say they don’t like it when people think they are learning disabled?'” he says. He suggests there are a number of complex reasons why such attitudes might persist, including stigma and competition for scarce resources and funding, but that much more research needs to be done to understand it fully.

Deal acknowledges that parts of the research could be misappropriated and is anxious that the results are not exaggerated but are dealt with “sensitively and carefully”. In terms of sensitivity, he likens the subject matter to “talking about racism in the BME community”.

The research might have some important broader lessons for campaigners and policy makers, Deal suggests. “This exposes a need for society to recognise that disabled people are not one homogeneous group and that for a true sense of equal opportunities to exist policies should focus on how to improve attitudes among disabled and non-disabled people alike,” he says.

• Full report at enham.co.uk