An Investigation of Public Perception and Attitudes Towards Disability in Jordan

Aim: There are limited studies conducted to explore the social attitudes towards PWDs in Jordan. The aim of this study was to compare public attitudes towards physical, visual, auditory, and intellectual disabilities in the five components of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) which are, education, health, livelihood, social, and empowerment. Another aim of this study was to explore the effects that the factors of gender, age, educational level and geographical area have on the attitudes towards disability. Methods: 499 participants (210 males and 289 females), mean age (42.7 +/- 8.4 yrs), age range (18-65 yrs) completed a survey specifically developed for this study based on the CBR guidelines. Results: A value (0.881) of Cronbach's alpha confirmed the reliability of the survey. About 64% of the sample had positive perception and attitude towards disability. Participants had more positive attitudes towards physical disabilities followed by auditory, visual, and lastly, intellectual disabilities. The lower scores were in the empowerment and then the social components of CBR. Geographical area was the only factor that affected the attitudes towards disability. Conclusion: Positive attitude towards PWDs that is mainly attributed to cultural components associated with religion and some prevalent traditions in certain geographical areas in Jordan.