Enhancing Physiotherapy Students' Attitudes toward Disabled People

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Disability Studies
• Medical Education

Background:

• Negative attitudes towards disabled individuals hinder rehabilitation success.
• Existing attitude-improvement programs often prove ineffective.
• Physiotherapy students require enhanced understanding of disability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an educational program designed to improve physiotherapy students' attitudes toward the disabled.
• To increase students' knowledge regarding disability and the origins of negative attitudes.

Main Methods:

• An 18-hour program was implemented for first-year physiotherapy students.
• Student attitudes were assessed at the commencement and completion of the program.
• Attitudes were compared to an Australia-wide sample.

Main Results:

• Students showed more positive attitudes towards the needs of the disabled at course commencement compared to a national sample.
• Post-program, students perceived disabled individuals as more similar in characteristics and needs.
• Students reported feeling less ignorant, less pitying, less admiring, and less fearful of disability.

Conclusions:

• The educational program positively influenced physiotherapy students' perceptions and attitudes towards disability.
• While knowledge and similarity perception improved, some discomfort regarding interaction persisted.
• Targeted interventions can enhance understanding and reduce negative biases in future healthcare professionals.