Attitudes towards people with disabilities: a systematic Rreview of intervention effectiveness

  • Yuleinys A Castillo 
    California State University
    United States
  • Alan Larson
    Stephen F. Austin State University
    United States

Abstract

The improvement of attitudes towards people with disabilities has led to studies focusing on the impact of interventions.  This review systematically analyzes and synthesizes the use of interventions to influence attitudes toward people with disabilities. A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases to identify studies that used an intervention in English with a defined assessment instrument meant to measure attitudinal changes toward people with disabilities. Based on a literature research, 32 studies conducted in fourteen different countries were included. In the majority of the cases, the use of interventions was an effective tool to improve attitudes towards disabilities. Implications of findings for practitioners and researchers are discussed.

Keywords
  • rehabilitation counseling
  • interventions
  • attitudes
  • disability
  • stigma
  • society
How to Cite
Castillo, Y. A., & Larson, A. (2020). Attitudes towards people with disabilities: a systematic Rreview of intervention effectiveness. COUNS-EDU: The International Journal of Counseling and Education, 5(2), 40–57. https://doi.org/10.23916/0020200526120
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX
References
  1. References
  2. Amosun, S. L., Volmink, L., & Rosin, R. (2005). Perceived images of disability: The reflections of two
  3. undergraduate medical students in a university in South Africa on life in a wheelchair. Disability and
  4. Rehabilitation, 27(16), 961–966. http://doi.org/10.1080/09638280500030407
  5. Bartram, T., & Cavanagh, J. (2019) Re-thinking vocational education and training: Creating opportunities
  6. for workers with disability in open employment. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 71(3),
  7. –349, DOI: 10.1080/13636820.2019.1638168
  8. Bettany-Saltikov, J. (2010a). Learning how to undertake a systematic review: Part 1. Nursing Standard,
  9. (50), 47–55. http://doi.org/10.7748/ns2010.08.24.50.47.c7939
  10. Bettany-Saltikov, J. (2010b). Learning how to undertake a systematic review: Part 2. Nursing Standard, 24(51), 47–56. http://doi.org/10.7748/ns2010.08.24.50.47.c7939
  11. Bizjak, B., Knezevic, M., & Cvetreznik, S. (2011). Attitude change toward guests with disabilities. Reflections from Tourism Students. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(3), 842–857. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2010.11.017
  12. Burke J., Bezyak, J., Fraser, R.T., Pete, J., Ditchman, N., & Chan, F. (2013) Employers' attitudes toward hiring and retaining people with disabilities: A review of the literature. The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling,19(1), 21–38.
  13. Campbell F.K. (2012) Stalking Ableism: Using Disability to Expose ‘Abled’ Narcissism. In: Goodley D.,
  14. Hughes B., Davis L. (eds) Disability and Social Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
  15. Cohen, R., Roth, D., York, A., & Neikrug, S. (2012). Youth leadership program for changing self-image
  16. and attitude toward people with disabilities. Journal of Social Work in Disability & Rehabilitation, 11(3),
  17. –218. http://doi.org/10.1080/1536710X.2012.704215
  18. Corrigan, P.W., & Kosyluk, K.A. (2014). Mental illness stigma: Types, constructs and vehicles for change
  19. In P.W. Corrigan (Ed.), The stigma of disease and disability: Understanding causes and overcoming (pp.35–
  20. . Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
  21. Corrigan, P. W., Larson, J.E., & Rusch, N. (2009). Self-stigma and they "why try" effect: Impact on life
  22. goals and evidence-based practices. World Psychiatry, 8(2), 75–81.
  23. Corrigan, P.W., Morris, S.B., Michaels, P.J., Rafacz, J.D., & Rusch, N. (2012). Challenging the public
  24. stigma of mental illness: A meta-analysis of outcome studies. Psychiatric Services, 63, (10), 963–
  26. Corrigan, P.W., & Penn, D. L.(2015). Lessons from social psychology on discredting psychiatric stigma.
  27. Stigma and Health, 1(S), 2–17).
  28. Ditchman N., Werner, S., Kosyluk K., & Corrigan, P. (2016). Stigma and Intellectual Disability: Potential
  29. application of Mental Illness research. Rehabilitation Psychology, 58(2), 206–216.
  30. de Boer, A., Pijl, S. J., & Minnaert, A. (2012). Students' attitudes toward peers with disabilities: A review
  31. of the literature. International Journal of Disability Development and education, 59(4), 379–392.
  32. dot: 10.1080/1034912X.2012.723944
  33. de Boer, A., Pijl, S. J., Minnaert, A., & Post, W. (2014). Evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention
  34. program to influence attitudes of students towards peers with disabilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(3), 572-583. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1908-6
  35. Dunst, C. J. (2014). Meta-analysis of the effects of puppet shows on attitudes toward and knowledge of
  36. individuals with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 80(2), 136-148. doi:10.1177/001440291408000201
  37. Ferrara, K., Burns, J., & Mills, H. (2015). Public attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities after
  38. viewing olympic or paralympic performance. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 32(1), 19–33. http://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2014-0136
  39. Fichten, C. S., Schipper, F., & Cutler, N. (2005). Does volunteering with children affect attitudes toward adults with disabilities? A prospective study of unequal contact. Rehabilitation Psychology, 50(2), 164–173. http://doi.org/10.1037/0090-5550.50.2.164
  40. Flatt-Fultz, E., & Phillips, L. A. (2012). Empowerment training and direct support professionals’ attitudes about individuals with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities : JOID, 16(2), 119–25. http://doi.org/10.1177/1744629512443652
  41. Galli, G., Lenggenhager, B., Scivoletto, G., Molinari, M., & Pazzaglia, M. (2015). Don’t look at my wheelchair ! The plasticity of longlasting prejudice. Medical Education, 1239–1247. http://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12834
  42. Gannon, S., & McGilloway, S. (2009). Children’s attitudes toward their peers with Down Syndrome in schools in rural Ireland: An exploratory study. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 24(4), 455–463. http://doi.org/10.1080/08856250903223104
  43. Gilbride, D., Stensrud, R., Ehlers, C., Evans, E., & Peterson, C. (2000). Employers' attitudes toward hiring persons with disabilities and vocational rehabilitation services. Journal of Rehabilitation, 66(4), 17–23.
  44. Gona, J., Newton, C., Hartley, S., & Bunning, K. (2018). Persons with disabilities as experts-by
  45. experience: Using personal narratives to affect community attitudes in Kilifi, Kenya. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 18(1), 18.
  46. Green, S., Davis, C., Karshmer, E., Marsh, P., & Straight, B.(2005). Living stigma: The impact of
  47. labeling, stereotyping, separation, status loss, and discrimination in the lives of individuals with
  48. disabilties and their families. Sociaological Inquiry, 75(2), 197–463.
  49. Hall, E. W. (2008). Changing the way guests interact with guests with disabilities. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 19(1), 15–23.
  50. Hamaideh, S. H., & Mudallal, R. (2009). Attitudes of Jordanian nurding students toward mental illness: The effect of teaching and contact on attitudes change. College Student Journal, 43(2), 335–346.
  51. Hassanein, E. E. (2015). Changing teachers’ negative attitudes toward persons with intellectual disabilities. Behavior Modification, 39(3), 367–389. http://doi.org/10.1177/0145445514559929
  52. Holtz, K. D., & Tessman, G. K. (2007). Evaluation of a peer-focused intervention to increase knowledge and foster positive attitudes toward children with Tourette syndrome. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 19(6), 531–542. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-007-9042-z
  53. Hutchinson, L. M., Hastings, R. P., Hunt, P. H., Bowler, C. L., Banks, M. E., & Totsika, V. (2014). Who’s Challenging Who? Changing attitudes toward those whose behaviour challenges. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58(2), 99–109. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01630.x
  54. Johnson, M. (2006). Disability awareness: Doing it right. Louisville, KY: Avocado Press.
  55. Jones, J., McQueen, M., Lowe, S., Minnes, P., & Rischke, A. (2015). Interprofessional education in Canada: Addressing knowledge, skills, and attitudes concerning intellectual disability for future healthcare professionals. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 12(3), 172–180. http://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12112
  56. Kim, J., Park, E., & Snell, M. E. (2005). Impact of information and weekly contact on attitudes of Korean general educators and nondisabled students regarding peers with disabilities. Mental Retardation, 43(6), 401–415.
  57. Kirkwood, A. D., & Stamm, B. H. (2006). A social marketing approach to challenging stigma. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37(5), 472–476. http://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.37.5.472
  58. Krahe, B., & Altwasser, C. (2006). Changing negative attitudes toward persons with physical disabilities: An experimental intervention. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 16(1), 59–69. http://doi.org/10.1002/casp.849
  59. Krahn, G. L., Walker, D. K., & Correa-De-Araujo, R. (2015). Persons with disabilities as an unrecognized health disparity population. American Journal of Public Health, 105(S2), S198-S206. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302182
  60. Lewis, J. L. (2011). Student attitudes toward impairment: An assessment of passive and active learning methods in urban planning education. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(2), 237–249. http://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2010.524921
  61. Lindau, N., Amin, T., Zambon, A., & Scior, K. (2018). The effect of Brief Digital Interventions on attitudes to Intellectual Disability: Results from a pilot study. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31(1), 106–113.
  62. Livingston, J. D., & Boyd, J.E. (2010). Correlates and consequences of internalized stigma for people with
  63. mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 71, 2150–2061.
  64. Lu, J., Webber, W., Romero, D., & Chirino, C. (2018). Changing attitudes toward people with
  65. disabilities using public media: An experimental study. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin,
  66. (3), 175–186.
  67. MacMillan, M., Tarrant, M., Abraham, C., & Morris, C. (2014). The association between children's
  68. contact with people with disabilities and their attitudes towards disability: A systematic review.
  69. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 56(6), 529–546. doi:10.1111/dmcn.12326
  70. Marini, I., & Stebnicki, M. A. (Eds.). (2017). The psychological and social impact of illness and disability (7th
  71. ed.). New York, NY.: Springer.
  72. Marom, M., Cohen, D., & Naon, D. (2007). Changing disability‐related attitudes and self‐efficacy of Israeli children via the Partners to Inclusion Programme. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 54(1), 113–127. http://doi.org/10.1080/10349120601149821
  73. McCarthy, J. W., Donofrio-Horwitz, L. M., & Smucker, L. M. D. (2010). The effects of reading personal narratives written by an individual who uses AAC on the attitudes of pre-professionals in business. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985), 26(2), 61–74. http://doi.org/10.3109/07434618.2010.481562
  74. McKenney, A. (2018). Attitude changes following participation in disability simulation activities.
  75. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 52(3), 215–236.
  76. Moore, D., & Nettelbeck, T. (2013). Effects of short-term disability awareness training on attitudes of
  77. adolescent schoolboys toward persons with a disability. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental
  78. Disability, 38(3), 223-231. doi:10.3109/13668250.2013.79053
  79. Phadraig, C. M. G., Nunn, J. H., Tornsey, O., & Timms, M. (2015). Does special care dentistry undergraduate teaching improve dental student attitudes toward people with disabilities? European Journal of Dental Education, 19(2), 107–112. http://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12110
  80. Rabenschlag, F., Schusterschitz, C., Conca, A., Knuf, A., Needham, I., & Hoffmann, H. (2012).
  81. Influence of single peer interventions on the recovery attitude of persons with a psychiatric disability. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 26(4), 755–760. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.00995.x
  82. Rao, S.(2004). Faculty attitudes and students with disabilities in higher education: A literatura review. College Student Journal, 38(2), 191–198.
  83. Reina, R., López, V., Jiménez, M., García-Calvo, T., & Hutzler, Y. (2011). Effects of awareness interventions on children's attitudes toward peers with a visual impairment. International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptation, 34(3), 243.
  84. Rose, J., Gallivan, A., Wright, D., & Blake, J. (2014). Staff training using positive behavioural support: The effects of a one-day training on the attributions and attitudes of care staff who work with people with an intellectual disability and challenging behaviour. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 60(1), 35–42. http://doi.org/10.1179/2047387713Y.0000000020
  85. Rule, A. C., Stefanich, G. P., Boody, R. M., & Peiffer, B. (2011). Impact of adaptive materials on teachers and their students with visual impairments in secondary science and mathematics classes.International Journal of Science Education, 33(6), 865–887. http://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2010.506619
  86. Saravanan, C., & Rangaswamy, K. (2012). Effectiveness of counselling on the attitudes of mothers toward their children with intellectual disability. Asia Pacific Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 3(1), 82–94. http://doi.org/10.1080/21507686.2011.648648
  87. Schwartz, D., Blue, E., McDonald, M., Giuliani, G., Weber, G., Seirup, H., … Perkins, A. (2010). Dispelling stereotypes: Promoting disability equality through film. Disability & Society, 25(7), 841–848. http://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2010.520898
  88. Silcox, D., Castillo, Y.A., & Reed, B. (2014). The Human-animal bond: Applications for rehabilitation
  89. professionals. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 45(3), 27–37.
  90. Sinai, A., Strydom, A., & Hassiotis, A. (2013). Evaluation of medical students attitudes toward people
  91. with intellectual disabilities: A naturalistic study in one medical school. Advances in Mental Health and
  92. Intellectual Disabilities, 7, 18–26. http://doi.org/10.1108/20441281311294666
  93. Smart, J. (2009). Disability, society, and the individual (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
  94. Smith, C., & Forrester-Jones, R. (2014). Experiential learning: Changing student attitudes toward learning disability. Tizard Learning Disabilities Review, 19(3), 110–117.
  95. Sullivan, E., & Glidden, L. M. (2014). Changing attitudes toward disabilities through unified sports. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 52(5), 367–378. http://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-52.5.367
  96. Swaim, K. F., & Morgan, S. B. (2001). Children's attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a peer with
  97. autistic behaviors: Does a brief educational intervention have an effect? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(2), 195–205.
  98. Tavares, W. (2011). An evaluation of the Kids are Kids disability awareness program: Increasing social inclusion among children with physical disabilities. Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation, 10, 25–35.
  99. Taylor, H., Krane, D., & Orkis, K. (2010). The ADA, 20 years later. New York: Harris Interactive (conducted for the Kessler Foundation and National Organization on Disability).
  100. Tracy, J., & Iacono, T. (2008). People with developmental disabilities teaching medical students--does it make a difference? Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 33(January 2015), 345–348. http://doi.org/10.1080/13668250802478633
  101. Verdonschot, M.M., de Witte, L.P., Reichrath, E., Buntinx, W.H., & Curfs, L.M. (2009). Community participation of people with an intellectual disability: A review of empirical findings. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53(4), 303–318.
  102. Vignes, C.V., Godeau, E., Sentenac, M., Coley, N., Navarro, F., Grandjean, H., & Arnaud. C. (2009). Determinants of students’ attitudes toward peers with disabilities. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 51, 473–479. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03283.x.
  103. Walker, J., & Scior, K. (2013). Tackling stigma associated with intellectual disability among the general public: A study of two indirect contact interventions. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(7), 2200–2210. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2013.03.024
  104. Werner, S., Corrigan, P., Ditchman, N., & Sokol, K. (2012). Stigma and intellectual disability: A review of
  105. measures and future directions. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33,748–65.
  106. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.10.009
  107. Wozencroft, A. J., Pate, J. R., & Griffiths, H. K. (2015). Experiential learning and Its impact on students’
  108. attitudes toward youth With disabilities. Journal of Experiential Education, 38(2), 129–143.
  109. http://doi.org/10.1177/1053825914524363
  110. Yazdani, N., Yazdani, F., & Nobakht, L. (2016). Reflective self-awareness exercise ; steps toward changing students’ attitudes toward disability. International Journal of Therapies and Rehabilitation, 5(2). http://doi.org/10.5455/ijtrr.000000122
  111. Zychlinski, E., Ben-Ezra, M., & Raz, Y. H. (2016). Changing attitudes about disability : The impact of the “Accessible Community” program. Journal of Socail Work, 16(6), 742–757. http://doi.org/10.1177/1468017315589871

Downloads

PDF

Statistic

Abstract Views
: 1001 times
PDF
: 235 times

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.