Ignorance ‘a barrier to progress’

IGNORANCE among people of so-called normal intelligence remains the single greatest barrier to progress for people with learning disabilities, according to a worldwide study by the Special Olympics organisation.

A survey of nine countries, including Ireland, found widespread negative perceptions about intellectual disability with many respondents underestimating the capabilities of intellectually disabled people and having unnecessarily low expectations of them.

Special Olympics president Timothy Shriver described the findings, published to coincide with the World Games taking place here, as "unacceptable" but said they strengthened the resolve of disability campaigners to fight prejudice.

The survey found:

Less than half of those surveyed believed people with intellectual disabilities were capable of playing team sports.

Just 14% believed they were capable of playing on a team with people who had no intellectual disability.

73% believed they could sustain a friendship and 67% believed they could wash themselves.

Just 36% believed they could tackle a complex task like understanding a news event and only 19% thought them able to handle an emergency.

79% advocated segregated schools or home schooling.

53% said inclusion in mainstream schools would hinder learning for pupils without intellectual disability.

54% said workplace accidents would increase if an intellectually disabled person was employed.

41% said the intellectually disabled should live at home and just 5% thought independent living possible.

54% believed media portrayals of people with intellectual disability were negative.

Mr Shriver said the results did not surprise those working in the field but were important as it was the first time there was a comprehensive scientific study to back up their suspicions.

The two-year study was carried out by the University of Massachusetts, Boston for Special Olympics and asked a lengthy list of questions about the place of people with intellectual disability in the workplace, classroom and daily social life.

It surveyed 8,000 members of the general public 800 each in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Germany, the US, China, Brazil, Egypt, Japan, Nigeria and Russia as well as 200 people involved in the Special Olympics.

The latter displayed a much higher level of confidence in people with intellectual disability. Country to country opinions varied substantially too with Ireland among the nations where more positive perceptions were held.

One belief shared by respondents worldwide, however, was that the attitudes of society at large were at fault but not their own. The results formed the basis for discussions at the Special Olympics World Games Scientific Symposium in Belfast yesterday.

The symposium also discussed surveys conducted in Britain which found that people with intellectual disabilities lacked proper mental health services and families of intellectually disabled people rarely made adequate plans for the future care of their loved ones into old age.