Perceptions on disability rights and disability as a social problem

Abstract

People with disabilities seem to experience hardship in life and other disadvantages. Such difficulty seems to be related to the fact that disabled people tend to lack many essential elements in life, which could stem from inadequate, inefficient, and ineffective welfare. Also related is the general public that tends to exhibit little or no concern about the disability issue. As such, three groups of people are identified to be associated with the disability issue – people with disabilities, the State offering the disability welfare, and the general public sharing social resources with disabled people. This study applies the public policy theory on issue definition and hypothesizes that the three groups perceive the disability issue differently regarding disability rights and disability as a social problem. This, in turn, leads to the lingering disability problems – the hardship and disadvantages among those with disabilities – without any correction. In terms of the research procedure, survey research method is used to reflect the perception of the three groups. The disability literature helps construct a survey instrument that examines the perception of these people. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test are pursued to study the extent of difference in perception. The empirical findings indicate the different perceptions, in that people with disabilities exhibit more positive view on disability rights and perceive the disability issue more as a social problem than the general public and public officials representing the State. Such difference has an implication on the disability issue and policy. Within the public policy theory on issue definition, the variation in perception or a divided perception stymies the public understanding of the issue and prevents the disability issue from entering the State agenda. Also, the State usually pays attention to the public, whereby, in this case, the non-disabled public has a less positive view on disability rights and disability as a social problem than disabled people. Consequently, the State does not take any immediate action on the disability issue, therefore, maintaining the status quo. The study gives some suggestions that people with disabilities, the target of the disability policy, must be more active in engendering a favorable political and policy environment for the disability issue. Strong disability groups should be formed and press demand on the State to change the status quo. They could attach some viable policy solutions to the demand, while also cooperating with the bureaucracy in the implementation of the disability policy. The disability groups can also expand the disability issue to catch attention of the public, making the issue more of a social problem. Or the groups can find policy entrepreneurs with capability of pushing the issue into the State agenda.