Introduction
Accepting a disability can be challenging psychologically, especially for people with an acquired condition. A number of factors influence the formation of a negative or positive response. The basis is the character of the person, which is also affected by economic and educational aspects. Family support and access to treatment are essential, as well as the perception of society in the form of possible discrimination.
Main body
Several factors influence the process of a person’s acceptance of disability. The most significant is the individual’s attitude to his or her condition since PWoD either fights against the influence of other factors or succumbs to their negative impact. Smart (2016) notes that individuals with a positive disability response often have a realistic view of the condition; in other words, they are “aware of the limitation but not exaggerating them” (p. 236). Awareness and adequate self-perception are the basis for building a PWoD personality because accepting changes or existing characteristics is part of the disability (Kasum & Mladenović, 2017). Thus, a person’s character and qualities play a crucial role in the acceptance process. The formation of a negative or positive response to disability also depends on the environmental conditions in which the person lives. On the one hand, the factors affect self-perception by supporting or diminishing the desire for acceptance. On the other hand, the PWoD’s attitude towards them forms a vision of the extent to which they influence the response’s formation.
External and internal factors interact with each other, determining the process of accepting a condition. Smart (2016) identifies several critical environmental factors, such as educational level, financial security, family support, and treatment availability. Socio-psychological factors in the form of discrimination, prejudice, and stigmatization on society play a special role (Smart, 2016). The main problem for PWoDs is the ability to perform a limited range of tasks depending on the type of condition, which leads to the emergence of restrictions on employment.
The workplace provides an opportunity for social interaction, satisfaction, and, not least, income. Thus, the inability to work leads to a feeling of economic insecurity, which negatively affects the self-perception of the disabled person since he or she blames his or her condition for the current situation. This factor is directly related to the level of education because “marginalization in educational opportunities only furthers employment disparities” (Saleh & Bruyère, 2017, p. 4). PWoDs are often unable to attend general education institutions, which leads to the inability to obtain the desired education and aggravates their situation concerning employment. Therefore, the family plays an essential role in providing care because many disabled people cannot complete daily tasks, which worsens their morale. The family can also be a source of economic security by ensuring proper treatment. However, often, especially in low-income countries, access to health care is reduced, negatively affecting the acceptance process (Saleh & Bruyère, 2017). Failure to receive adequate treatment worsens both the physical and mental health of PWoD, lowering the standard of living. Thus, the described factors influence self-perception and response to disability.
Often, society’s perception, expressed in the presence or absence of discrimination, stigma, and prejudice, has a massive impact. The image of a disabled person in the eyes of others often determines the formation of his acceptance; however, “individuals who experience stigma do not always have a poor sense of self-worth” (O’Byrne & Muldoon, 2017, p. 318). Thus, despite the existence of discrimination in relation to PWoDs, the degree of its influence depends primarily on the person’s character, the degree of independence of his opinion.
Conclusion
The formation of acceptance of disability is influenced by many factors, including psychological and social. Fear of economic insecurity and lack of access to education can provoke a negative response. On the contrary, family support and access to treatment have a positive effect on self-perception. Discrimination by society is not always the reason for the deterioration of the state of the adoption process, as the personality of the disabled person plays the most significant role.
References
Kasum, G., & Mladenović, M. (2017). The self-perception of athletes with disability. Physical Culture, 71(1), 43-54. Web.
O’Byrne, C., & Muldoon, O. (2017). Stigma, self-perception and social comparisons in young people with an intellectual disability. Irish Educational Studies, 36(3), 307-322.
Saleh, C. M., & Bruyère, S. M. (2017). Leveraging employer practices in global regulatory frameworks to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Social Inclusion, 6(1), 1-18.
Smart, J. (2018). Disability, society and individual (3rd ed.). Pro Ed.