Regarding disability: Perceptions of protection under the Americans with disabilities act

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze public perceptions of disability and gain insight into the types of health conditions nondisabled people believe should be protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Understanding how the public interprets the ADA could offer perspective on which disabilities are viewed as legitimate and which are not. Data were gathered from a convenience sample of members from local community groups and college classrooms in a metropolitan university setting. Our analyses evaluate the clustering of health condition types due to similar traits and identify which attributes of the health conditions generate this clustering. Results from a series of quantitative and qualitative analyses (e.g., hierarchical cluster analysis, frequency analysis, discourse analysis, etc.) indicate nondisabled respondents perceive physical and cognitive health conditions that are visible, static, and externally acquired as legitimate disabilities that should be protected by the ADA.

Citation

Mueller, P.K., Houser, J.A. and Riddle, M.D. (2010), "Regarding disability: Perceptions of protection under the Americans with disabilities act", Barnartt, S.N. (Ed.) Disability as a Fluid State (Research in Social Science and Disability, Vol. 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 159-180. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3547(2010)0000005009