Attitudes Toward Disabilities

Abstract

This research note explores the difficulties and importance of obtaining research data on attitudes of disability-rights activists. Remarkably little research has been done on the attitudes that people with disabilities have about their disabilities. This is especially interesting in light of the development and formation of the disability-rights movement and the minority-group perspective about disability. This article discusses the methodological and pragmatic complexities and concerns in obtaining data from people with disabilities who participated in Americans Disabled for Assistance Programs Today (ADAPT) social action events. ADAPT members are one of the groups most highly associated with identity politics of the disability-rights movement; they are also extremely mistrustful of outsiders who they fear may be interested in disrupting their activities. The authors discuss how sufficient trust and engagement was achieved to carry out this study without compromising sound research principles. Some findings are also reported. These results suggest that this group of people with disabilities identifies closely with their disabilities and seems to adhere to a minority-group perspective. Many identified so closely with their disabilities at a personal level that they indicated that they would not choose to be cured even if this were "magically" possible.

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