Paralympics and the transformation of attitudes toward intellectual - PDF document

10/16/17 Paralympics and the transformation of attitudes toward intellectual and developmental disability Kelly Carr 1 Laura Misener 2 Sean Horton 1 Patricia Weir 1 1 University of Windsor 2 Western University § Affects approximately 1% of the global population 1,2 § Characterized by deficits in cognitive abilities and adaptive functioning 3 1 Maulik et al. (2011) 2 McKenzie et al. (2016) 3 American Psychiatric Association (2013) 1

10/16/17 It is not the individual’s impairment that is disabling, rather the society in which the individual dwells. 4 Alteration of social structures (assumptions and resources) that drive human action. 5 Assumptions of disability can be altered when exposed to individuals with disability acting in ways that challenge common perceptions. 5 4 Union of the Physical Impaired Against Segregation (1976) 5 Giddens (1984) facilitate and/or inhibit actions based on the possibilities individuals can § envision for themselves. 5,6 Resources Social Actions of Structures Individuals Assumptions ↑ exposure to individuals acting outside of dominant social structures 5 Giddens (1984) 6 Metcalfe (1993) 2

10/16/17 International Paralympic Committee (n.d.) Viewing Paralympic media coverage improved attitudes towards people with § impairment Similar attitudinal change when viewing comparable footage of able-bodied Olympic athletes 3

10/16/17 To examine the impact of viewing media coverage of Para- athletes showcasing their athletic strengths during the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games on attitudes toward people with . n = 90 n = 90 Random Assignment Random Assignment Experimental Control Experimental Control n = 45 n = 45 n = 45 n = 45 4

10/16/17 Random Assignment Random Assignment Experimental Control Experimental Control QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTRATION (T1) Intervention: Intervention: Intervention: Intervention: Paralympic Olympic Media Paralympic Olympic Media Media Coverage Coverage Media Coverage Coverage 12 Days QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTRATION (T2) development and validation phase § 20 items answered with 6-point Likert scale § Example item: “Disabled people are the same as anyone else” § 5

10/16/17 Attitudes toward disability Attitudes toward disability Employment Elite Sport Physical Activity 6

10/16/17 Kelly Carr 1 Laura Misener 2 Sean Horton 1 Patricia Weir 1 Kelly Carr carrk@uwindsor.ca 1 University of Windsor 2 Western University Paralympics and the transformation of attitudes toward intellectual and developmental disability 7