The Effect of Contact, Context, and Social Power on Undergraduate Attitudes Toward Persons with Disabilities

Negative perceptions and attitudes toward persons with disabilities persist. These invisible barriers serve to limit social interactions with persons with disabilities and fuel the reciprocity of negative attitudes. Research suggests that social proximity to disability is a major factor affecting how these attitudes manifest themselves. A sample of 218 undergraduate students completed the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP), a direct measure of attitudes toward people with disabilities. Study findings suggest that representation of persons with disabilities in leadership roles in work, education, and other social settings may promote greater attitudinal shifts toward persons with disabilities than contact with persons with disabilities in non-authoritarian roles.