Ideas about people with disability

A person reading a document in a folder. Above them is a thought bubble with a disability icon in it.

One part of the survey asked people to respond to 20 ideas about people with disability.

A person writing on a clipboard.

We wrote the ideas out as sentences.

And people had to choose how much they agreed or disagreed with each sentence.
A diverse community of people sitting together. Above them is a thought bubble with a disability icon in it.

These ideas were about the community’s attitudes towards people with disability.
A thought bubble with a question mark in it. Under the thought bubble is 5 bubbles labelled with the numbers one through to 5.

The ideas helped collect data for 5 areas to do with the community’s attitudes.

A group of people from the community having a conversation. Some of them have disability.

1. How inclusive the community is.

A person with disability with an upset expression. In the background is a group of people pointing at and talking about the person with disability.

2. How much discrimination people with disability experience from the community.

Discrimination is when someone treats you unfairly because of a part of who you are.
A person with disability giving 2 thumbs up.

3. The ways people with disability get more out of life than other people in the community.

A person with disability pointing to themself with their other hand raised. Behind them is a diverse community of people.

4. What is possible for people with disability in the community.

An employer supporting a person with disability to use a computer for work. Above them is a dollar symbol.

5. How much the community supports people with disability to find and keep a job.

A person supporting someone with disability. Both of them are happy. The person giving support has a speech bubble with a thumbs up in it.

We heard that people who had experiences with people with disability had more positive attitudes in these 5 areas.

A pair of friends with disability posing for a photo.

Over 50% of people agreed that people with disability find it harder to:

  • make new friends
  • take part in the community.
A person holding their head in their hands with a frustrated expression. Above them is a disability icon with a problem icon.

6% of people agreed that people with disability make things harder for the community.

A family of 5 with a problem icon above them. Some of them have disability.

17% of people agreed that people with disability make things harder on their families.

An upset person with disability. Behind them is a pair of people talking about the person with disability. They have a speech bubble with a thumbs down and the person with disability in it.

More than 50% of people agreed that people in the community often make fun of people with disability.

A person planning to do something bad. They have a thought bubble with a disability icon in it.

62% of people agreed that it’s easier to trick people with disability.

A person supporting a person with disability. They have a thought bubble with a cross in it.

14% of people agreed that the community should not expect too much from people with disability.

A person with disability looking sad. Above them is a calendar and an arrow pointing to the right.

Only 6% of people agreed that people with disability should not be hopeful about the future.

A suitcase with a dollar symbol on it and a disability icon next to it.

Some of the ideas asked people about their attitudes towards people with disability’s employment.

A person with disability wearing high visibility clothes and safety equipment working on a construction site.

Employment means you:

  • have a job
  • go to work
  • get paid.
A person with disability giving 2 thumbs down. Above them is a suitcase with a dollar symbol on it and a cross next to it.

3% of people agreed that people with disability don’t want to work.

A person with disability with a cross above them, and a person without disability with a tick above them.

14% of people agreed that people with disability don’t work as hard as people without a disability.

The survey looked at attitudes from people who work in:
A group of health care workers.
  • health – like doctors and nurses
A teacher supporting a student to read.
  • education – like teachers
A judge listening to 2 people talk to them.
  • law – like police officers and judges
A carer supporting a person with disability in their home.
  • support – like carers.
An employer with a worker at a construction site.

The survey also looked at attitudes from employers.
An employer working with a person with disability in a garden store.

93% of these people agreed that they feel confident when they:

  • work with people with disability
  • support them.
A person with a confident pose. They have a thought bubble with a tick in it.

When you are confident, you:

  • believe in yourself
  • know what you can do
  • can try new things.