Effects of a disability awareness program on attitude transformation in higher education

Abstract

According to several studies, students with disabilities in higher education report feeling marginalized and excluded due to the lack of sensitivity on the part of some teachers to their disability. Attitudinal barriers and lack of knowledge are the main causes that hinder the educational inclusion of this group. Therefore, it was decided to design a course on disability awareness called REASENS. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of this course on the change of attitudes of teachers and university students towards people with disabilities (PWD). This research, with a quantitative approach, was structured and developed under an action research design. A total of 167 students and teachers from three universities participated in the study. A pre-experimental study was carried out, in which pretest and posttest tests were administered using the EAPD scale. It has been determined that the course has generated positive changes in attitude. Both teachers and students feel more comfortable and informed about disability. In addition, they believe that students with disabilities can have a more normalized life and that, in addition, investment should be made in eliminating barriers that hinder their participation in society. However, it is still necessary to work on changing attitudes towards establishing more enriching social and personal relationships with people with disabilities.

Keywords:

Awareness program, Disability, Higher education, Open education resource, People with disabilities.