INTRODUCTION
Attitudes are a
complex collection of beliefs, feelings, values and dispositions which
characterize the way we think or feel about certain people or situations.
People’s attitudes are a product of life experiences, including the
relationships they build with the people around them. For example, a person’s
attitudes towards one person with disability might be shaped by their personal
experience of knowing another person with disability. And these attitudes often
affect the way people behave in particular situations or towards other people.
Attitudes are transient and change from person to person, from group to
group, and even within groups over time. Nonetheless we do tend to see
patterns in people’s attitudes as people with shared characteristics or common
social experiences may well develop similar attitudes towards people with
disabilities or disability in general.
If the much needed
radical change in our attitude to disability is to come about then we must
realize that disability is about rights not charity and empowerment not pity.
Only by working together for equality and celebrating diversity can we become
the truly inclusive community we are meant to be (Roy
Mccloughry
2002).
There is a growing
body of evidence to indicate that people with disabilities experience the
attitudes of others as a major barrier to education, leisure, and transport,
access to public services, social contact and accessibility outside the home.
Understanding the prevalence of positive and negative attitudes and which groups
of people hold them is crucial if we want to understand how to improve public
attitudes (Aiden and McCarthy, 2014). People with disabilities continue to face
challenges in many areas of their lives and many of these challenges involve
people’s attitudes. The last two decades have witnessed important legislative
changes seeking to tackle discrimination towards people with disabilities.
Despite these changes, however, negative attitudes continue to persist. It is in
this light that this paper seeks to understand whether the attitude of peers
affect persons with disabilities or not.
Review
of Related Literature
Disability is a social
issue, which result from the interaction between long term physical, mental or
sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their
full and effective participation in society on equal basis with others (UNICEF
2012). A major reason proposed for negative social attitudes, resulting in the
denial of basic values and rights/conditions, is the way disability is portrayed
and interpreted in society. At community levels negative attitudes
can become structured into social patterns of segregation and discrimination.
The social
construction of disability represents a basis from which barriers to inclusion
of people with disabilities are created.
As a result of the social construction of disability, people with
disabilities experience decreased expectations by people without disabilities
and limited inclusion in society (Oliver, 1990)
Morris (2005)
considers two common attitudes that create enormous barriers to participation.
Firstly, that people with disabilities are commonly considered to be in need of
care and this undermines peoples’ ability to see people with disabilities as
autonomous people. “We are not recognized as actors in community participation
but as recipients of other peoples’ community participation”. Secondly, people
with disabilities are often treated as not belonging to the communities in which
they live.
Genesi (2007) states that
“When disability is seen as the largest component of a person, much of what is
unique and “human” about him or her will be obscured.
When needs and deficits are what we see, we only see what that person cannot
do”. These are the foundations on which most of our attitudes towards persons
with disabilities are built. Physical disability is a generic term referring to
many other conditions such as poliomyelitis, amputation, spinal cord injuries,
muscular dystrophy, limb deficiencies, bone tuberculosis
orthopedic, cerebral palsy, spinal Bifida and many others. These
conditions affect a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or
stamina, swallowing ability, as well as breathing independently. It can also
affect certain capabilities such as vision, cognition, speech, language, and
bowel control (Yeboah and Yekple, 2011).
According to the
Handicaps welfare association (2018) A person may be
physically disabled due to two major reasons:
Congenital/hereditary
factors: a person has disability from birth or the disability developed due to
genetic problems, problems with muscle cells, or injury during birth.
Acquired: the person
may acquire the physical disability through a road or industrial accident,
infections such as polio or diseases and disorders such as stroke, or cancer.
Types of physical
disabilities: there are two major categories of physical disabilities:
Ø
Musculo skeletal disability:
this is the inability to carry out distinctive activities associated with
movements of the body parts due to muscular or bone deformities, diseases or
degeneration. The disabilities grouped under musculo
skeletal disabilities are:
·
Loss or deformity of limbs (orthopedic impairments)
·
Osteogensis
imperfecta
or brittle bone disease (a group of genetic disorders that affects the bones and
results in bone breaking easily)
·
Muscular dystrophy (a genetic group of disorders that lead to progressive and
irreversible weakness and loss of muscle mass)
·
Dwarfism
Ø
Neuro-musculo disability: this is
the inability to perform controlled movements of affected body parts due to
diseases, degeneration or disorder of the nervous systems. The categories are:
·
Cerebral palsy
·
Spina bifida
·
Poliomyelitis
·
Stroke
·
Head injury
·
Spinal cord injury
It is obvious that
many people seem to be much more comfortable around people with more ‘visible’
disabilities (physical or sensory disabilities), than they are around people
with less visible disabilities (mental health conditions or learning
disabilities). In spite of this assumption people still exhibit negative
attitude towards people with visible disabilities than those with less visible
disabilities and this affects their personality.
Richards and Schmidt
(2002) as cited by Nabiollah,
Zalina, Bee, and Faiz (2012), define
personality as “those aspects of an individual’s behavior,
attitude, beliefs, thoughts, actions and feelings which are seen as typical and
distinctive of that person and recognized as such by that person and others”.
Based on this definition, each person has a type of personality which is
exclusive to him/her. Another, perhaps a more comprehensible definition of
personality is that personality is a stable set of characteristics and
tendencies that determine those common abilities and differences in the
psychological behavior (thoughts, feelings and
actions) of people that have continuity in time and that may not be easily
understood as the sole result of the social and biological pressures of the
moment. There are three reasons for being interested in personality. They are;
“first, to gain scientific understanding, second, to access people and next, to
change people”
Persons with physical disabilities have their personality which most of the
times is being stretched due to negative attitudes put forth towards by the
members of the communities. Some of them turn to be withdrawn, reserved, and shy
and some even develop inferiority complex due to the negative attitude they
experience at home, school, place of work, church and others. Many persons with
disabilities have failed to exhibit their potentials because the society has
failed to see them beyond their impairments thus affecting their personality.
At their most basic
level, personal attitudes may be described as beliefs and opinions held by an
individual about a referent object, for instance, disability. Societal
attitudes, on the other hand, refer to prevailing beliefs espoused by and
influenced by cultural orientation, historical background or other prevailing
conditions. Societal attitudes tend to be more remote and do not necessarily
have congruence with personal attitudes. This very remoteness allows for
differences between the two. The differences may also be understood in terms of
distancing, with greater accountability demanded in personal rather than
societal attitudes. Daruwalla and Darcy (2005).
Thus, attitudes are
part of a framework by which we interpret our social environment. Attitudes
represent relatively stable attributes and, at the same time, they appear to be
learned rather than innate. Social learning theory highlights the process of
acquisition of knowledge and attitudes from important others, such as parents,
teachers, peers, and media figures (Bandura, 1977).
Cognitive, affective
and behavioral evaluations are central to the notion
of attitudes. Cognitive evaluations refer to thoughts people have about the
attitude object. Affective evaluations refer to feelings or emotions people have
in relation to the attitude object. Behavioral
evaluations refer to people’s actions with respect to the attitude object (Nowicki, 2006).
Negative attitudes
towards people with disabilities begin to emerge early in the process of
development. Young children already categorize people into disabled and
nondisabled and favor the nondisabled. Lee and Rodda (1994) stress that false
beliefs about disability that are acquired in childhood are due to a ‘pervasive
sociocultural conditioning’. The existing social and cultural norms are
geared towards achieving and maintaining beauty, youth and fitness of the body.
In the media, disabled people are portrayed as sick, suffering, looking for help
and are unable to conform to the cultural norms and therefore marginalized in
society.
Many of the obstacles
encountered by people with disabilities are generated by societal attitudes.
When societal attitudes are positive, they can facilitate inclusion furthering
acceptance of the disability by family, friends, and potential employers. When
they are negative, they can seriously hamper inclusion, contributing to the
transformation of specific functional impairments into generalized personal,
family, social, or vocational handicaps (Vilchinsky
and Findler, 2004).
Attitudes are
generally thought to be part of the socialization process.
Daruwalla
and Darcy (2005), have indicated that attitudes are
learned. The attribution of positive and negative prejudice is learned and often
these attributions have little bearing on the disability itself. Thus, in the
case of positive prejudice, people are lionized as being selfless, brave and so
on. In the case of negative prejudice, they may be perceived as helpless,
dependent, ungrateful, selfish, freakish, evil, deranged, tragic, depressed or
special. These stereotypical views of disability also include the assumption
that one disability includes the characteristics of other impairment groups. An
example of this would be a service provider who, assuming that a wheelchair user
is unable to communicate, does not address this person directly but talks to the
companion instead. Lack of information, knowledge and fears
that are generally experienced by the wider society, all contribute towards
negative attitudes.
Today there are
numerous laws and norms to ensure equal treatment of people with disabilities,
because we live in a society that takes pride in its tolerance and integration.
Therefore, open antipathy or dislike towards people who are physically different
is no longer socially desirable. However, feelings of discomfort, rejection or
fear during interaction with a disabled person are still prevalent, accompanied
by misconceptions about the behavior, personality and
achievement potential of the disabled (Krahe
and Altwasser 2006). As social psychological research
on prejudice and stereotypes suggests, such reservations cannot be overcome
solely by legal regulations and integration policies. Instead, measures are
required that target individuals’ cognitions, emotions, and
behaviors
towards the physically disabled. Even with these laws to support the rights of
the disabled and an overtly shown positive attitude, there are still barriers in
everyday life between disabled and nondisabled people.
Literature such as
Aiden and McCarthy (2014), (McKeever, 2006),(Nolan et
al, 2006)indicate that disabled people are more likely than people who aren’t
disabled to experience the attitudes of others as a major barrier to education,
leisure, transport, access to public services, social contact and accessibility
outside the home. In most parts of the world today, people exhibit various forms
of attitude towards persons with disabilities. some people think of them as less
productive others see them as needing to be cared for, they get in the way of
others, less capable, and more.
In most parts of
Cameroon, people are more comfortable with the idea of a relative marrying a
disabled person or the person next door being disabled than they are with their
MP or boss being disabled. More than anything else, this suggests that people
are more uncomfortable with the idea of disabled people being in positions of
authority, Yuh and Shey
(2008).
Coleman (1997) established that derogatory and demeaning terminology
for persons with
physical impairment has led to prejudice and stereotypes.
Stigma can leave
people marginalized and excluded from their own community. It can stop people
with disabilities from getting jobs they are qualified to do and leaving them
dependent on state benefits (McKeever, 2006). Stigma
against people with disabilities often includes stereotyping based on
misperceptions. A stereotype is a form of social typing, which has the potential
to be misleading, as it does not acknowledge variability.
“When we say that a
person is stigmatized because they have disability, we mean that others make
harsh judgments about them based on their beliefs about the nature of the
disability and not about the person’s abilities, personality or unique traits” (McKeever,
2006).
Stigmatization has
internal and external consequences. It impacts on peoples’ quality of life and
social and psychological well-being. It causes stress, anxiety and further
stigma. It causes reduced acceptance, discrimination, rejection and social
exclusion. It causes label avoidance and makes it difficult to pursue employment
or access to services. It can result in a lowering of self-esteem and
self-efficacy (Nolan et al, 2006). People who perceive themselves as stigmatized
may internalize stigmatizing ideas (Nolan et al, 2006). Stigma coping mechanisms include 1)
avoidance-withdrawal, 2) education and 3) secrecy (Nolan et al, 2006). Social
embarrassment can result in people isolating themselves. Denial and pretense can be a means of self-protection but can also lead
to reduced supports as help may not be sought or offered. As long as negative
attitudes persist, the full rightful acceptance of people with disabilities is
unlikely. Recognizing that persons
with disabilities are still exposed to and oppressed by prejudice and
discrimination may be the first step in reducing prejudice in our community.
It is obvious that
societal attitudes influence social policy and legislation,
as such a society plagued with negative attitude will serve as a formidable
barrier to the success of particular policies because the public significantly
influences how much importance is given to an issue. This situation is not helped by the fact
that disabled people are under-represented in the public sector, particularly in
strategic and management positions. They are under-represented where decisions
about policy and service provision are taken.
Statement of the Problem
It’s been observed
that attitudes to disability are the major barrier to disabled peoples’ full
participation in most sectors of the community. From pity, awkwardness and fear,
to low expectations about what disabled people can contribute, stereotypical and
negative attitudes hold people with physical disabilities back from fully
manifesting their inherent potentials. People with disabilities regularly
identify societal attitudes as the most potent and negative stressor in their
lives.
In Cameroon and most
especially in the Buea municipality today, negative
myths and stereotypes continue to create ingrained prejudices toward people with
disabilities. These prejudices are reflected in negative attitudes and behavior, which impede the participation of people with
disabilities in social, educational and vocational contexts. Some of them have
been prevented from “mainstreaming into certain strata of the community.
Negative attitudes are linked to behaviors such as
social rejection and maintenance of higher levels of social distance toward
persons with disabilities. The natural response to stigmatization by persons
with physical disability is nothing else but low self-esteem, restricted
opportunities for people with disabilities to fully participate in key areas of
life and ongoing adverse effects on the physical and
mental health of these persons. It is against this backdrop that this study
wishes to bring out the effect of peer negative attitude on the personality and
well -being of persons with physical disabilities.
Research
questions
§ How does Myths and stigmatization
affect the personality and psychological well-being of persons with physical
disabilities
§ How does Teasing and name Calling affect the
personality and psychological well-being of persons with physical disabilities?
§ How does prejudice and discrimination affect personality and
psychological well-being of persons with physical disabilities?
METHODOLOGY
Study design
The study employed a
descriptive survey research design that made used of a mixed method of
collecting qualitative and quantitative data through the use of questionnaires
and interview guide.
Study area
Buea municipality houses
the famous University of Buea which has made the town
to earn the description as a citadel of learning. It is a touristic site for
Cameroon with the famous Mount Fako which is the
highest mountain in West Africa. The municipality is subdivided into smaller
communities such as Molyko, Muea,
Bokwango, Buea town, Likoko, Membea, and more. The main
inhabitants of this area are the Bakwereans. The South
West region is the seventh most populated region in Cameroon with a population
of 1,384,286 inhabitants. The
population of the South West region of Cameroon is a conglomerate of many ethnic
groups, comprising the native. WHO (2011) estimates that Cameroon records
approximately 1,600,000 PWDs, which is about 8% (WHO, 2011) of its population.
Statistics collected by the Ministry of Social Affairs (2010) on disabilities in
47 institutions offering special education in the ten regions of Cameroon,
registered 3,892 institutional based persons with disabilities, 1,552 physically
handicapped, 883 hard of hearing, 281 visually impaired, 106 mentally disabled
and 1,070 mixed of visually impaired, autistics, hard of hearing, and more.
Population of the study
The population of the
study consisted of all persons with physical disabilities living within the
confines of the Buea municipality. They
included people having a limitation in their physical functioning, mobility,
dexterity, or stamina.
Sample and sampling
procedure
The main sampling
strategies were purposive and convenience. Four vicinities in the Buea municipality were involved in this study. The purposive
sampling technique was used to select all participants for the study. This was
because the researchers wanted to work only with those persons living with
physical disabilities within the four selected areas of the study. While the
convenience sampling technique was used to select the vicinities used for the
study.
Instrument for data collection
The study made use of
both quantitative and qualitative instruments for data collection. A
comprehensive review of literature on peer attitude was conducted in order to
come up with the instrument for data collection for the study. Data was
collected using a mixed questionnaire which comprised of both closed and open
type questions. The closed ended questions were a minimum of five and two open
ended. Every item on the questionnaire was geared towards understanding the
impact of peer attitude and its impact on the personality of persons with
physical disabilities in the Buea municipality.
In aggregate, the
respondents agreed that prejudice and discrimination affect persons with
physical disability, 74% (MRS: =37). 70% (7) agreed that people refuse to
associate with them, especially reject their love proposals. 60% (6) agreed that some teachers are irritable especially if I
can’t walk fast to come to their classes when am late. 80% (8) agreed that their classmate refuse seating near them,
playing with them or even do task together with them. 80% (8) agreed that they always feel bad and developed low
self-esteem when discriminated by their peer. 80% (8) agree that prejudice and
discrimination have affected every aspect of their life.
Analysis
of open-ended items
100% of
the respondents accepted the fact that myths and stigmatization held by many people about physical
disabilities affects their personality and causes them to feel inferior.
They expressed
feelings of regret, disappointment and rejections as expressed below:
“I feel
disappointed sometimes and regret why I was born this way but above all…I feel
stigmatized and cannot carry out my activities freely. We are not recognized as
actors in community participation but as recipients of community leftovers”
(Female, 15-16years).
“Many
people fail to listen to me most of the times, in most conversations I am not
given the chance to talk and this makes me shy in the society, consequently, I
choose to stay quiet in most conversations” (Male, 10-12years).
From the above, we can
say that myth and stigmatization creates a barrier to the expressions of the
innate abilities of persons with physical disabilities. It limits the
expressions of their potentials and renders them handicapped. Majority of them
develop the withdrawal syndrome as a coping mechanism. They therefore need the
society to give them a chance to become actors by dropping their myth and
stigma.
Majority of the
respondents agreed that teasing and name
calling affect every aspect of their being as it makes them feel hated,
rejected and unwelcomed as seen below:
“It makes me feel rejected and makes me shy away from social gatherings”
(Female, 15-16years). Another stated that; “Many a time I am looked upon as a pathetic figure in need of pity,
charity and caretaking, I have earned names like ‘Oghaje’,
‘witch’, ‘great oracle’ among my friends who will not call me such in my
presence”
It is obvious from the
above that the society prescribes a set of standards for functional
independence, capabilities and social reciprocity. When people’s functioning or
biological composition does not fall within these standards, they are assumed to
be inferior and are subject to a decrease in inclusion in society. These only
create a deficit in the lives of persons with disabilities.
Most of the
respondents opined that prejudice and
discrimination affected every aspect of their lives. They said that they
feel stigmatized and isolated. This could be seen in the following quotations;
“It makes me not to be able to share ideas with
others and even to express my know-how” (Male, 15-16years).
I find
it difficult to excel in my education because I feel stigmatized because I am
not welcomed by many of my classmates, my academic aspirations are cut short,
how do I continue schooling when I am a problem to my teachers and
classmates?(Female, 15-16years).
Among all the
respondents, just one reported a positive view of all that was happening to her
she said
“I
believe so much in myself and strongly believe God who created me will help me
at all times, even among the normal they tease themselves and call themselves
names so I don’t want to take it personal it’s not about my disability I may
have an impairment but I will never allow my impairment to limit me” (Female,
15-16years).
She is right because
there is need for people to change their beliefs about themselves so they could
change their attitudes towards others. From the above it is obvious that out of
the ten participants in this study just one is able to put aside the negative
attitude of the society and move on in life. It is from such persons that we say
resilience is inherent. Not everybody has such potentials, reasons why our
community must learn to change and accept people for who they are because when
disability is seen as the largest component of a person, much of what is unique
and “human” about him or her will be obscured. When
needs and deficits are what we see, we only see what that person cannot do. Genesi (2007) says “A
major shift in how we think about disabilities is necessary for we cannot truly
include all children until we value all people”
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Question one: How does Myths and stigmatization affect persons with physical disabilities?
The
findings revealed that myths
and stigmatization affects the personality and well-being of persons with physical disabilities. The respondents
indicated that people felt that they were cursed because of their physical
conditions. They were seen as embarrassment and burden to the family. Many
people in their village ask if they possess special powers. Montgomery (2004) stated that in some villages, people with
persons with physical disabilities were shunned as they were thought to be
products of witchcraft. This was the reason a family would choose to kill the
baby for fear of being labeled witches. Previously,
people with the condition were also thought to be the products of interracial
coupling or incest.
They are always looked upon as mischievous. Such impressions and beliefs about
persons with disabilities affect every aspect of their lives as they feel
stigmatized and discriminated upon. This was confirmed as the respondents
expressed feelings of regret and disappointment. Lund
(1997) established that due to stigma and discrimination, children with physical
disabilities are hidden at home instead of being sent to school hence denying
them a fundamental human right to education and participation in various
societal activities.
As far as
its consequences are concerned, stigma as stipulated by the participants create
regrets, bring about depression, withdrawal from social activities, makes them
feel as second class citizens and leaves them with no choice than to develop
inferiority complex. “I regret why I was born this …, we are not recognized as
actors in community participation but as recipients of community leftovers…,
consequently, I choose to stay quiet in most conversations”.
The above mentioned
facts are in line with McKeever, (2006) findings who
states that Stigma can leave people marginalized and excluded from their own
community. It can stop people with ability getting the jobs that they are
qualified to do leaving them dependent on state benefits. Stigma against people
with disabilities often includes stereotyping based on misperceptions. A
stereotype is a form of social typing, which has the potential to be misleading,
as it does not acknowledge variability (Nolan et al, 2006). Misperceptions of
people with disabilities include the fact that it is shameful to be disabled,
that people with disabilities are violent and dangerous, or that people with
disabilities cannot live with the rest of the society. “When we say that a person is
stigmatized because they have disabilities, we mean that others make harsh
judgments about them based on their beliefs about the nature of disabilities and
not about the person’s abilities, personality or unique traits”.
Stigmatization has internal and external consequences. It impacts on peoples’
quality of life and social and psychological well-being. It causes stress,
anxiety and further stigma. It causes reduced acceptance, discrimination,
rejection and social exclusion. It causes label avoidance and makes it difficult
to pursue employment or access to services. It can result in a lowering of
self-esteem and self-efficacy (Nolan et al, 2006). People who perceive
themselves as stigmatized may internalize stigmatizing ideas (Graham et al, 2003
cited by Nolan et al, 2006).
Stigma coping mechanisms stated by the participants in this study were:
avoidance, withdrawal, secrecy. This is confirmed by (Nolan et al, 2006) who
says social embarrassment can result in people isolating themselves, denial and pretense can be a means of self-protection but can also lead
to reduced supports as help may not be sought or offered.
Question two: How does Teasing and name Calling affect persons
with physical disabilities?
The
findings revealed that teasing and name
calling affects negatively the personality and well-being of persons with physical disabilities. The respondents
indicated that people turn to talk towards them in a different tone of voice
just to dehumanize them. Their community and school mates often subject them to
name calling and teasing. Teasing and name-calling are
seen as other ways in which language can be used to dehumanize individuals
(NOAH, 2005).
Children stare at persons with physical disabilities
with amazement, especially when they visit other villages. The respondents
indicated that children come to them and touch them to see if they were really
human beings. This causes them to
become uncomfortable. The respondents also indicated
that
teasing has affected every aspect of their behaviour. It causes them to have a
low self-esteem. This is in line with Lund (1997) who
pointed out that pupils with physical disabilities face the challenge of being
pointed, imitated and laughed at by other pupils resulting in low self-esteem
among them.
The participants of this study indicated that name calling and
teasing was derogatory to them“I am looked upon as a pathetic figure in need of pity,
charity and caretaking, I have earned names like ‘Oghaje’,
‘witch’, ‘great oracle’ among my friends.”
Name calling is one of the most damaging and painful type of
bullying. It leaves victims with negative messages about who they are burned
into their memories. It’s also harmful because name calling attempts to define
people. It chips away at the targets self-esteem, sense of self-worth and
self-concepts. It makes it difficult for victims to trust their perceptions
about themselves. And regardless of the names the victim is called, the
underlying and repeating message are “you are not good enough” and “you don’t
measure up”. Over time name calling and teasing can slowly eat away at
self-esteem and the victim will no longer see himself or herself realistically,
it causes people to bend to peer pressure and compromise their beliefs in order
to escape the bullying Gordon (2018).
Sherri (2018) confirms the above findings in her study when she
said name calling causes a noticeable change in personality and behavior of those impacted. They may become more tearful,
hostile, or withdrawn, dissatisfied with life and struggle with feelings of
loneliness and despair and opens the door to violence, encourage internal
criticism and it is worth noting that name calling has a serious impact on
mental health. It creates a sense of worthlessness in the victim, helpless, and
out of control and may cause victims to attempt suicide. There are many people
with physical disabilities suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders caused
by name calling and teasing.
Persons with physical disabilities are in the
Buea
municipality are exposed to the aforementioned consequences because everywhere
they go they meet with derogatory names.
Question three: How does
prejudice and discrimination affect persons with physical disabilities?
The
findings revealed that prejudice and discrimination
affect the personality and well-being of persons with physical disabilities.
This was evident as the respondents stated that, people refused to associate
with them and especially reject their love proposals. They always feel bad and
develop low self-esteem when discriminated by their peers. Miller and Major (2000) posited that prejudice and
discrimination results in low self-esteem leading to depression in the lives of
the concerned. They argue that prejudice and discrimination demean the social
identity and this leads to depression among the concerned people.
The respondents stated that, their classmates refuse sitting with them on
the same bench, playing with them. This makes them to become isolated from
school activities. Kromberg et al (1987) established that persons with physical
disabilities are shunned by their peers who are reluctant to sit near, eat or
play with them. This has a negative impact on their self-esteem especially for
the child who is being deprived of the expression of love and care.
According to Gaigher, Lund, and Makuya (2002), persons with physical disabilities are often
isolated from activities that stimulate cognitive and perceptual motor
development because they cannot take part in outdoor activities and tasks.
Because of the
poor
physical make up, these learners often seem to be
threatened when surrounded by their peers who are “normal”, who exuberantly and
confidently master new skills and play games from which they are excluded.
Many people in our community have a bias
towards people with physical disabilities believing them to be less productive,
socially immature, and lacking in relationship skills.
Discrimination is defined as the negative action that a person carries out,
based on prejudice. Feelings of discomfort, rejection or fear during interaction
with a disabled person are still prevalent, accompanied by misconceptions about
the behaviour, personality and achievement potential this has
given birth to excluding people with physical disabilities from employment,
residential housing, and political rights are examples of discrimination (Smart,
2001).
Evidence from different scenarios, however, from the classroom to the bus stop,
illustrate a wide range of unhelpful or aggressive attitudes towards disabled
people, which often vary according to type of impairment or health condition,
and according to ethnic origin, age and gender” (Massie, 2006).
The individual’s reaction to his or her disability (e.g., anxiety, depression,
mourning, grief, denial, passivity, dependency, aggressiveness, withdrawal,
compensation, and coping mechanisms) may also affect the reaction of people
without disabilities Genesi (2007).
This is the impression created by the lone participant who despite negative
attitudes towards her she put up with it. She didn’t allow the people’s attitude
to put her down she said “I believe so
much in myself and strongly believe God who created me will help me at all
times, even among the normal they tease themselves and call themselves name so I
don’t want to take it personal it’s not about my disability I may have an
impairment but I will never allow my impairment to limit me”.
This is resilience she did not allow the discrimination, teasing, name calling,
prejudices and discrimination to push her down. However,
Ungar
(2005) suggests that people not considered to be resilient might be blamed for
their ‘perceived lack of inner strength to overcome “their lot in life”’. It is
possible that by focusing on resilience in the lives of disabled people, there
is a danger of transferring blame and responsibility onto individual disabled
people who are assumed to lack the individual characteristics needed for
resilience to emerge, rather than focusing on the attitudinal, systemic and
psychological factors which create contexts of adversity for disabled people
(Young et al., 2008).
Resilience has come to mean both internalized capabilities and a set of
culturally normal behaviors (Ungar, 2004) as such
the social model of disability seeks to move the focus away from the limitations
of impaired bodies and minds and to look instead at the difficulties caused for
disabled people by disabling environments, barriers, attitudes and cultures.
Here we adopt a social approach to disability and resilience that recognizes
their emergence in a host of political, community, cultural and relational
contexts.
RECOMMENDATION
Understanding and
promoting the values underpinning basic rights or the basic human conditions
required for development equality, autonomy, dignity and solidarity/social
justice is essential if governments and individuals are to commit themselves to
ensuring that each and every person can access the conditions required to live
as self-determining individuals. The values underpinning human rights or the
basic conditions required to fulfill human potential
in each setting, be it the home, the school, the workplace or the wider society,
need to be promoted. Every human being is of inestimable value regardless
of difference.
Remove obstacles to
achieving human potential: Negative public and social attitudes are major
obstacles to accessing the basic conditions required to achieve human potential
because they develop, reinforce and solidify socio-environmental barriers to
participation in work and other mainstream activities.
CONCLUSION
This study concludes
that peer attitude negatively affect the well-being of persons with physical disabilities. Old stereotypes and
misunderstandings of disability need to be replaced by new social constructions.
Until this happens it is difficult to establish societies where public
representatives and ordinary citizens alike systematically take diversity into
account and welcome and cater for differences so that people with disabilities
are supported as required to access the basic conditions required to live as
free and responsible citizens.
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