Perceptions of Disability in Ethiopian Children

This talk will discuss the results of a research project started by sophomore Georgia Grace Edwards while she lived in Ethiopia during the summer of 2015, taking the Middlebury Class "Development Across the Disciplines" led by... [ view full abstract ]

This talk will discuss the results of a research project started by sophomore Georgia Grace Edwards while she lived in Ethiopia during the summer of 2015, taking the Middlebury Class "Development Across the Disciplines" led by Professor Claudia Cooper. Inspired by the lack of research regarding children's views and opinions of disability (both physical and mental) worldwide, this project used 20 one-on-one interviews with children in Ethiopia, and survey data from the United States, England, etc. to explore the perceived meaning, causes, consequences, care, social norms, stereotypes, and fraud surrounding the topic. Interesting differences emerged in answers depending on age, gender, household/family views, exposure to media, prevalence, and sense of nationalism. Future implications for this research include the ability to determine the age in which most children form their perceptions of disability, the use of media in positive disability portrayal and perception, and better establishment of disability rights in countries worldwide.