Comparative analysis of attitudes towards people with disabilities in Russia and in Europe (pilot study)

Abstract

Opinions of Russian and European respondents regarding the public attitudes towards people with disabilities (PWD) are analyzed in the study. The author gives an attempt to describe the difference between the attitudes towards PWD in Russia and in Europe. The survey was divided into two parts. The first one involved questions referring to the general awareness about the problem; the second one included questions related to the attitudes towards the problem and the public tolerance towards PWD. The survey results suggest that there is no serious gap between the perceptions of Russian respondents and European respondents displayed towards PWD. At the same time, answers to the follow-up questions were very informative; for example, it was found out that Russians are extremely concerned about the possible aggressive behavior of teachers and schoolmates towards PWD, even if the public generally approves of the idea of the integration of children with disabilities.