DIGITAL LIBRARY
SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE AND SOCIAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
University of Plovdiv Paisii Hilendarski (BULGARIA)
About this paper:
Appears in: INTED2018 Proceedings
Publication year: 2018
Pages: 2450-2460
ISBN: 978-84-697-9480-7
ISSN: 2340-1079
doi: 10.21125/inted.2018.0463
Conference name: 12th International Technology, Education and Development Conference
Dates: 5-7 March, 2018
Location: Valencia, Spain
Abstract:
Social acceptance and social support towards people with disabilities are a high form of measurement of humanity. The degree of social acceptance shows what our attitudes to segregation are, the discriminatory patterns that exist in the community, and also shows our attitude toward the integration and socialization of people with special needs. Social inclusion and social relationships with these people go through the labyrinths of the prevailing prejudices and stereotypes that affect our social attitudes towards them.

This motivates the conduct of a study, the purpose of which is to track the attitudes, social acceptance and social attitudes towards people with disabilities.

In order to achieve the goal, an author's methodology (questionnaire-scale) aimed at capturing the perceived social attitudes regarding the social acceptance of the disabled was created and tested.

The goal is achieved through the following tasks:
- Exploring the theoretical issues and focusing on the key aspects of social acceptance and anticipations that influence the formation and development of attitudes and prejudices.
- Develop methodological systems for tracking attitudes towards disabled people, their training and their acceptance as concurrent and equal members of society.
- Trace and examine what is the attitude towards people with disabilities as a whole.
- Analyze and summarize the results of the study.
- To highlight trends, conclusions and recommendations for psychological-pedagogical practice.
The objectives and tasks thus set forth provoked the following assumption:
It is assumed that unfavorable attitudes and attitudes regarding the social acceptance of the disabled will be established.

From the research done with the scale questionnaire, it is clear that the community actually has some idea of the status and attitude towards disabled people. However, from some of the items it is show that this information is inaccurate, incomplete or incorrect. Undoubtedly, there have been factors such as historical beliefs, prejudices, discriminatory patterns, labeling, which influenced this.
On the basis of the study conducted, the lessons learned were that Social Reception of Disabled People is an important moment in their life functioning.

Also, the social unhealthy attitudes towards disabled people not only accompany onto-genetic development but also have a significant impact on social interactions between people with disabilities and people in norm. These interactions are influenced by historical patterns of attitudes towards people with disabilities, social norms, sociology-psychological barriers, some rigid models, unrealistic expectations and deliberate separation of people with disabilities.
Keywords:
Social acceptance, social attitudes, people with disabilities.