Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 2015 · DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.06.019 · Published: April 1, 2015
This study focuses on creating ways to measure how social attitudes affect people with disabilities. The goal is to develop a tool that captures both the positive and negative attitudes experienced by individuals with disabilities, which can either help or hinder their participation in society. The researchers created a set of questions to assess these social attitudes. These questions were tested and refined with individuals who have spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or stroke.
The new Social Attitudes item pool provides a more in-depth assessment of social attitudes at both individual and societal levels, which can help researchers, providers, and policymakers.
By accurately assessing social environmental factors, interventions can be better targeted to improve the participation and quality of life for people with disabilities.
The item bank can inform policy development by highlighting aspects of the environment that can be improved to facilitate the participation of people with disabilities.