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A few months before the Paralympic Games, APF handicap asked Ifop for a survey in order to take stock of the representations of the French towards people with disabilities. It shows that they generally have limited knowledge on the subject.
Disability is often associated in the collective unconscious with the wheelchair. In reality, it is far from being limited to that. An Ifop survey carried out for APF handicap establishes a precise inventory of the idea that the French have of disability.
Motor disability, the first to be cited
The results of the survey show that overall, when the subject is mentioned, it is motor disability and therefore the wheelchair, which is mentioned first, for 72% of respondents. THE mental handicap is only mentioned by 12% of respondents and being blind by only 8%. In addition, the representation of disability is often negative, with the difficulties encountered by these people being mentioned first.
Three quarters of French people believe that society is not “adapted to disability”
This idea goes in the same direction as that put forward by three quarters of those questioned: French society is not sufficiently adapted to the needs of these people. For people affected by disability, this figure even rises to 81%. In terms of visibility, 72% consider that people with disabilities are not sufficiently represented on television.
Whereas in half of the cases, seeing a disabled person on their small screen arouses “admiration” or “respect”. Moreover, eight out of ten respondents are convinced that better representation of disabled people on TV can change the way people look at disability.
A more positive image expected thanks to the Paralympic Games
The upcoming Paralympic Games are welcomed with enthusiasm. For 96% of respondents, they will “give a more positive image” of people with disabilities. Moreover, 75% find that these Games are under-publicized and 71% even believe that they are “relegated to an inferior status” compared to the Olympic Games.