Perspectives of college students' attitudes and knowledge about people with disabilities

Although there is a growing presence of college students with disabilities, there are still a number of barriers that need to be addressed. College campuses provide an arena to challenge students' worldviews and bring awareness of challenges to marginalized populations. The present study is an evaluation of a disability awareness workshop for college students to improve knowledge and attitudes about people with disabilities. The workshop included presentations by students with disabilities, professionals who work with people with disabilities, and knowledge-building activities. It was evaluated using a pre-test, post-test comparison group design and was found to improve college students' knowledge and attitudes about people with disabilities. Qualitative analyses further depict attitudes toward people with disabilities. Implications for university initiatives and disability services educators are discussed.