University students’ attitudes towards disability and their views on discrimination

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the attitudes displayed by students without disabilities studying in Dokuz Eylul University towards people with disabilities, and their perceptions and observations regarding the types of discrimination faced by students with disabilities.Methods: The study was conducted with 1766 students attending faculty of education and faculty of health. The study data were collected using the ‘Attitudes Towards Disabled Persons’ (ATDP) Scale and a questionnaire prepared using the ‘discrimination based on disability’.Results: Of the students, 62.6% agreed with the statement ‘In Turkey, people with disabilities are discriminated against more than other members of society.’ Approximately 50% of the students participating in this study believed that discrimination against people with disabilities in Turkey at present was less than it was 10 years ago. The majority of the students were not knowledgeable about ‘legislative regulations regarding people with disabilities and did not know that “Discrimination against people with disabilities is a crime under the Turkish Penal Code.”’ The students obtained moderate scores on the ATDP. Male students, low-income students, and students from villages achieved higher scores in terms of their attitudes towards disability than did the others.Conclusion: Although the majority of the participants acknowledged the existence of discrimination against people with disabilities, they thought that other types of discrimination were more common.