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Humanities
- ISSN: 2155-7993
- Journal of Modern Education Review
Removing Social Barriers through Changing Attitudes towards
Differently Abled Persons
Shailendra Kumar Mishra
(Provincial Civil Servant, Govt. of U.P., India)
Abstract: This paper shows how the attitudinal development training can be effective in changing the negative attitudes of people towards differently abled persons. Defining disability many veteran psychologist proved that disability is not a subjective health problem but, in real, it is socially constructed problem which, then, create enormous cognitive barriers — a major hindrances in way of differently abled persons which needs to be removed prominently. In the light of this scenario we present a paper on “an attitudinal development training module” based on research findings and evidence proved earlier and also a case study of some students. This paper focus on how to remove negative attitudes of persons towards differently abled people as this module comprises not only interventions of attitudinal-change exercises step by step after testing on 80 attitudinal level testing questionnaire based on standardized ATDP Linkert scale (tested & proved by Fossey, 1993) but also an “empathy development exercises” as a special feature of this. Apart from this, some research findings concerned with more strength of disabled persons in comparison to “normal” as evident based works published earlier in this journal “Viklang Shakti Shodh” (as an expedition moved under “mission chetna” in India) are included in this model. We have experimented this training module on 50 students of a school after finding that their attitude-level score are below the optimum (following the scoring pattern of ATDP scale system), then after repetitions of these exercises on them. Lastly, we have found 41 students (after retesting on same scale) have changed their views — having a favourable attitude changed-behaviour towards differently abled persons. An award of appreciation has also been given to these students after performance- reviews. All contents of every step and exercises embedded in it have also been analyzed on the basis of different renowned theories of attitude change which gives rise to authentication of this model. We use many theories of attitude-change for analysis of this modal as theory of biasing motives (Brinol & Petty, 2005; Forgas, 1995), Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo , 1981), Meta Cognitive Model (Petty & Brinol, 2006), theory of propositional learning (Hovland, 1953), Cognitive response approach (Petty, Ostrom & Brock, 1981) and theory of dissonance (Festinger, 1957), theory of ego defensive function category (Katz, 1954). This module is also presented in our responsive website www.missionchetna.org. We can go through this by registering in user login. Hence we have seen lastly that findings of the case study and analysis of contents shows the appreciable change in Attitudes of people towards differently abled persons. By effective installation of this programme in school and in communities we can achieve a major change in removing social barriers which results in inclusion of differently persons in mainstream of society.
Key words: social barriers, attitudinal development training module, attitude change, mission chetna