A hierarchy of disability: Attitudes of people with disabilities toward one another

Previous studies indicate a hierarchy of acceptance for people with varying types of disability, where people with mental retardation or a psychiatric disability are least accepted compared to people with physical disabilities. However, research among people with disabilities assessing how they view others with disabilities is nearly nonexistent. Research conducted for this dissertation attempts to: (1) determine whether a hierarchy of acceptance of people with disabilities exists among those with disabilities, (2) describe factors contributing to it, and (3) describe attitudes of people with disabilities toward their own disability and self-identity as a disabled person.;The conceptual framework for this study comprises theories of stigma, labeling, deviance, and social networks to provide a framework for understanding how stigma associated with disability affects how people with disabilities see themselves and how this affects the degree to which individuals with disabilities accept others with disabilities.;Data were collected between April and December 2004 among college students with disabilities recruited from UCLA and UC Davis disability centers. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires available as printed versions or online that addressed their attitudes toward having a disability and toward others with disabilities.;Several findings emerged from this study. One finding is the demonstration of a stable hierarchy of disability among people with disabilities that positions those with physical disabilities at the top and those with mental retardation or psychological disabilities at the bottom. Social distance did not vary by respondent's disability. Contact with others with disabilities was found to be significantly related to both disability identity and social distance, although the contact variable of significance differed in each case. Participants who knew more people with a disability had greater disability identity whereas those with no close friends with disabilities expressed greater social distance. Being male, having frequent contact with others with disabilities, knowing more individuals with disabilities, and having a higher number of friends is associated with an increased sense of disability identity. Being White, having a close friend with a disability, and a father who was college educated increased social acceptance of others with disabilities. Finally, disability identity and social distance were found to be significantly negatively related.