Results of European Poll of Attitudes toward Disability
By Andrew Freeway
The Eurobarometer provides information and insight into how Europeans experience certain issues in our society. Eurobarometer 54.2 reports on how Europeans perceive disability, based on a recent poll.
In total, 16,014 Europeans (with an average of 1000 respondents per country, taken at random from the adult population) were asked about their ideas and opinions on disability.
General opinions
- Many Europeans know someone with a disability: Europe has an average of 58%; Sweden 75%, Finland 74% and the Netherlands 73%.
- Number of Europeans that considers themselves a disabled person: Europe has an average of 5%; Finland, the United Kingdom and Germany have 8% and the Netherlands has 7%.
- On the question how much at ease people feel when they are close to someone with a disability Europe has a score of 3.28. The people in Greece, Germany and France are ill at ease in the close surroundings of people with a disability. Denmark, the United Kingdom, Sweden and the Netherlands have no real problem.
Opinions on the availability of provisions for people with a disability
The questionnaire was divided into 4 sub-groups: provisions for people with a visual impairment, with a hearing impairment, with a physical limitation and with intellectual challenges. Furthermore the provisions were divided in 7 main types: public transport, general public services, restaurants & hotels, universities & schools, working places, sport events and cultural events.
Europeans think that in general all provisions are difficult to use or not accessible for people with a disability. Only France and Greece think that their provisions are a bit more accessible for disabled people then the European average. All other countries report that their provisions are not really accessible to or usable by disabled people and score below the European average.
Trends: Public services have improved/have not improved as far as access for people with a disability is concerned.
The European average is 2.62. Finland (3.03) and the Netherlands (2.99) think that their situation has improved. The other countries have not seen improvement. Greece has the lowest score with 1.85.
Responsibilities
The 16,014 Europeans have been asked who should be responsible for providing adequate provisions for disabled people. Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands have the opinion that the government (either local or national) should be in charge. In Germany the voluntary organizations are pointed out as the ones responsible. The Portuguese people do not have an opinion on this issue.
The wish to have people with a disability being a full member of society
The questionnaire used 8 statements to create a "portrait" of views on this issue. Respondents just had to agree or not to agree with each a statement and also to express the measure of agreement or non-agreement (score 1-4).
- Something must be done in order to include people with a disability into our society such as having more accessible public services. Europe has an average score of 3.49. The lowest score came from Greece with 1.5.
- More money is needed to get rid of physical barriers that hinder the participation of people with a disability. The European average is 3.6; Belgium, Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands have a lower score.
- I feel sad if I see children with a disability. European score is 3.4 and the lowest score was 1.5.
- People with a disability are just like other people. European average is 3.32. Portugal has the lowest score (2.0) and Finland the highest (3.6).
- It is much more difficult to be with people with an intellectual disability then with people with a physical disability. The European score is 3.2. Only the Netherlands does not agree at all with this statement; the other countries do agree in general.
- Integrated education is necessary; children with a disability should attend a 'normal' school. The European average is 3.15 while only Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands have a more negative score.
- People with a disability are less productive in their work, earns a European score of 2.34. Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden do not agree at all!
- People with an intellectual disability should be kept apart from the rest of the society gave a European average of 1.71. The Netherlands opposed this statement the strongest.
How much and in which context do you feel at ease with someone in a wheelchair?
(as neighbour, artist, colleague, politician, teacher, civil servant, general practitioner, shopkeeper etc.).
Most Europeans are rather positive about this issue with an average score of 84%. The United Kingdom has the best score with 94%, followed by Denmark and Sweden. The Netherlands, like Greece and Germany, have a lower score.
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