Others' Perception of People With Disabilities
Perception of Canadians towards PwD provides an insights into how and why Canadians treat PwD the ways they do.
So what do we know about Canadian's perception of PwD? What is clear is that perception differs significantly across different segments of society and people groups. Perception also varies across different issues that affect PwD. Furthermore, perceptions are often not static but tend to change over time.
Another scientific study on the attitudes of medical clerks (i.e. senior medical students) towards persons with intellectual disability (PwD) found stronger tendency towards sheltering among those who have had clinical experience with persons with intellectual disabilities. While sheltering is sometimes seen a way to provide specialized care to PwD, this is contrary to community inclusion which is shown to better promote the well-being of PwD.
As perception is changing so also are policy and practices designed to support PwD. For instance, newer approaches to education for PwD is going beyond legal requirements to accommodate student learning to espouse inclusive citizenry where all who seek to learn are served and not just those who reach predetermined academic goals.
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