Attitudes about disabled people improve after therapists simulate being disabled

Credit:  David Amsler on Flickr

In an effort to better prepare students for their interactions with disabled people, Prof Cynthia Colwell of the University of Kansas asked her students to pretend they had either:

•  one-arm amputation
•  lower-limb paralysis requiring a  wheelchair
•  a hearing impairment
•  a visual impairment

Each "disabled" student had another student act as their aide. The pair then spent 30 minutes interacting in a public place such as a restaurant or store. Initially, the students were reluctant to pretend they had disabilities because they thought it would be offensive to people with real disabilities. In addition, the students didn't think they would learn anything new from the simulation experience.

Credit:  National Parks Service

After completing the exercise the students described the experience as enlightening.  In addition, they said the exercise increased their empathy toward people with disabilities.

"Without fail, all of them came back and said, 'That was really cool'," Colwell said. "They don't necessarily like the experience, but they said, 'This will help me working with a student or client with a disability.'"

More information on Cowells study is on Phys.Org.

The study "Simulating disabilities as a tool for altering individual perceptions of working with children with special needs" is published in the International Journal of Music.

Source:

Attitudes toward individuals with disabilities improve after simulating disability

This post was originally published by me on Examiner.com.

©Mary M Conneely T/A Advocacy in Action