Do public attitudes support intellectual disability and autism rights and inclusion? – Lessons from a representative survey

This study aims to explore public attitudes towards disabled people and their human rights and the variation of attitudes towards people with different disabilities, including people with an intellectual disability and autistic people. Attitudes towards adults and children, as well as men and women with different disabilities, were explored separately.

Data was collected as part of an omnibus survey on a probability sample of 1,000 respondents, representative of Hungary’s adult population by gender, age, level of education and type of municipality of residence. Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between sociodemographic background and acceptance or rejection of people with different disabilities. To analyse attitudes towards men and women with particular disabilities, independent samples t-test was used.

Findings show a generally high acceptance of people with sensory or mobility limitations; however, acceptance of autistic people and people with intellectual disability is significantly lower. Public attitudes are the least approving towards certain rights of autistic people and people with intellectual disability, including their right to vote, to marry, to raise children, to work in the open labour market and to attend education with others.

The findings underscore a strong hierarchy between disability groups where the least accepted groups are people with intellectual disability and autistic people. Legal and policy progress need to be supported by the measurement of public attitudes and targeted interventions to counter stigma.