Panhellenic Public Opinion Poll "Tracing Attitudes, Perceptions and Behavior towards Disability"
The Survey was conducted by SKEP - Association for Social Responsibility for Children and Youth, in collaboration with PRORATA SA and was held from September 26th to October 11th, 2019.
The purpose of the poll was to record the opinion of Greek citizens regarding:
a. perceptions and attitudes towards disability
b. the role that government and the educational system need to play battling with discrimination
Survey participants: 3,273
Results:
- the overwhelming majority (97%) strongly agrees, or rather agrees, that "all people should have equal rights, without discrimination"
- 91% of the participants agree with the establishment of a curriculum in schools for acceptance of diversity
- 9 out of 10 participants believe that the lack of disability awareness programs in schools perpetuates stereotypes and prejudices
- 8 out of 10 participants hold the view that the lack of disability awareness programs in schools strengthens stigma and marginalization
- Participants believe that the most important role in battling prejudices and stereotypes should be played by the state (83%), the family (80%) and the media (54%).
- Familiarity with disability reduces levels of discomfort when engaging with people with disability.
- Younger participants (18 - 34 years old) have a more passive attitude towards defending the rights of people with disability, than the rest of the population.
- Participants believe that people with disability find it extremely difficult to work in the private sector
Comments:
The overwhelming majority (83%) believes that the state should play the most decisive role in battling stereotypes and prejudices regarding disability. Moreover, the absence of a relevant school curriculum perpetuates the problem (88%) and reinforces stigmatization and marginalization (78%), and should be taken seriously into account in educational state planning in the coming years. It is not a coincidence that the research participants almost universally agreed (91%) that a curriculum should be implemented in schools that seeks to change the pupil's view regarding diversity and introduce the concept of social acceptance and equality.
