People with disabilities

Sexual experiences and freedom are basic human rights that people with disabilities are often denied. Society and those considered to be within the general public, including caregivers, family members, and professionals that work with people with disabilities, contribute to the lack of sexual experiences and opportunities people with disabilities have throughout their lifetime. This study examined the attitudes of males and females from the general public toward sexual lives for people with disabilities. Further, it explored the difference in attitudes based on disability condition, examining attitudes toward a sexual life for those with a physical disability, intellectual disability, and general or non-specified disability.
Results showed that female respondents reported more positive attitudes toward females with disabilities and females without disabilities having a sex life in comparison to the attitudes male respondents reported toward males with disabilities and males without disabilities having a sex life. Additionally, respondents felt the least positive toward adults with intellectual disabilities having a sex life. Limitations of this study and implications for further research are discussed.

Two types of sensitivity training designed to improve attitudes toward persons with disabilities were administered and their effects compared. Sensitivity training using discussion and role playing alone was compared with sensitivity training using discussion, role playing, and simulation. A quasi experimental pretest posttest nonequivalent control group design was used to evaluate the effects of treatment. Subjects were 72 6th and 7th grade students. They responded to the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale Form O prior to treatment as a measure of attitudes toward persons with disabilities. All of the experimental group subjects participated in the first session using discussion and role playing (DRP). The first posttest (Form A) was administered one week after treatment. During week two, half the students from DRP were randomly assigned to become the second experimental group which participated in a disability simulation in addition to the discussion and role playing (DRP + SIM). During week three, both experimental groups (DRP and DRP + SIM) were administered the second posttest (Form B). The control group (CTL) received no treatment, but was pre- and posttested similarly. In each of six two-way ANCOVAs, treatment plus one of the demographic variables (gender, grade level in school, minority status, degree of prior contact with persons having disabilities, nature of relationship with person who is disabled, and amount of knowledge on disabilities) were between-subjects factors, time was a within-subjects factor, pretest score was the covariate, and posttest scores were the outcome measure. Since the Bonferroni procedure was used to maintain the overall Type 1 error rate at.05, p values less than.0083 were considered statistically significant. Findings included a main effect for treatment in five of six tests, with the exception of amount of knowledge. DRP + SIM had significantly higher posttest scores than DRP or CTL. None of the main effects for demographic variables or interactions between treatment and demographic variables were found to be statistically significant. A post hoc Scheffe test indicated significantly higher mean scores for subjects receiving the disability simulation than for any other group. A disordinal treatment by time interaction was found for all six ANCOVAs. All statistically significant results were also practically significant (eta^2= .11-.50). Suggestions for further research, including a person with disabilities as co-facilitator in disability awareness programs, instituting periodic reinforcement, and conducting follow-up studies of attitude change over time.

The importance of employment in our society is unmistakable. The financial outcome of employment allows us to provide for ourselves and others. Furthermore, our employment status, and the work in which we engage, play a part in defining our self-concept. For many people, however, sustained employment remains elusive. The unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is staggering, and the consequences of being without a job affects those who are unemployed, their families, and our society. There are many issues that directly challenge the employment status of people with disabilities. Some of these include funding for supported employment programs, employer bias, and the outcomes of our country's educational system. Another issue that affects the employment of individuals with disabilities is the manner in which they are prepared prior to employment and coached while on the job. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of performance feedback delivered via covert audio coaching on the job performance of supported employees. A multiple baseline design across participants and work tasks was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention on the participants' work performance (accuracy and speed of task completion). The results demonstrated that the supported employees made substantial improvements on their accuracy and speed of completing the selected work tasks. The results also showed that the improvements maintained for 4-5 weeks following the removal of the intervention.