2666 - AN ATTEMPT OF DEVELOPING MEASUREMENT ON THE PREJUDICE OF WHEELCHAIR USERS

Session: P_D02S003 - Poster Session 3 - Division 2
AUTHORS:
Tanaka Ken'Ichiro (Nihon University, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies ~ Tokyo ~ Japan) , Kobayashi Atsuko (Council for Gender Equality in Kawagoe City ~ Kawagoe ~ Japan)
Abstract text:
This study developed a scale to assess prejudice against wheelchair users. In a preliminary study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a wheelchair user to explore the prejudices and discrimination she experienced. Based on these interviews, we created ten preliminary items. In Study 1, we administered a Google-Forms survey with these ten items to Japanese graduate and undergraduate students attending lectures at one of the author's affiliated universities (N=258). Of these, 76 participants completed the survey. We developed the Wheelchair User Prejudice Scale; WUPS), which comprises six items with an alpha coefficient of .718. The wheelchair user prejudice score consisted of the total score for this scale. The results indicated no significant gender or age differences in the responses to this scale. In Study 2, we examined the convergent validity of the WUPS. We administered a survey by the Japanese website survey service with six items of the WUPS, a Japanese version of the Symbolic Ableism Scale (SAS-J) consisted of two subscales, and a Japanese version of the Attitudes Towards Lesbian and Gay Men Scale (ATLG-J20) to 1,000 residents in Japan. Of these, 857 participants completed the survey. The WUPS was positive correlated with "lack of recognition of current condition" of SAS-J, and negative correlated with a "individualism" of SAS-J. These findings indicated adequate validity of this scale.