A study of how people experience disability simulation activities
People with disabilities continue to be marginalized and face discrimination despite legislative protections. Disability simulation activities are a commonly used method for enhancing empathy toward people with disabilities, and the literature provides evidence that they are effective in this regard...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Dissertation |
| Language: | English |
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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
01-01-2014
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| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | People with disabilities continue to be marginalized and face discrimination despite legislative protections. Disability simulation activities are a commonly used method for enhancing empathy toward people with disabilities, and the literature provides evidence that they are effective in this regard. These activities are employed in an effort to help non-disabled people gain insight into the disability experience, but disability activists claim simulations are insulting and may encourage pity. This study provides a deeper understanding of the meaning people make of their experiences when they participate in such activities. Findings suggest that participants experience a wide variety of emotions and cognitions in response to acquiring a temporary disability, and as they process these reactions, they appear to undergo a newly identified process that culminates in empathic growth. The author discusses the implications of these findings, for both the field and for future facilitators of disability simulation activities, and proposes that disability issues need to be infused into graduate training curricula for mental health practitioners. Key Words: disability, simulation, empathy, phenomenological, experiential |
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| ISBN: | 9781303659133 1303659131 |