FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ATTITUDESOF NIGERIANS TOWARD PERSONS WITH PHYSICAL CHALLENGES

The present study aimed to examine the factors influencing the attitudes of Nigerians toward people with a physical disability. The study hypothesized that education and exposure to the physical challenge would influence attitudes toward people with a physical disability. The design of the study was cross-sectional. The participants comprise one hundred (100) workers drawn from state and local government civil service in the Enugu State, Nigeria, using a random sampling technique. Data were collected through a self-administered survey questionnaire, using a modified version of the Scale of Attitudes towards Disabled Persons (SADP). The result revealed that the participants largely showed positive attitudes towards persons with physical challenges. Two hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis and the analysis revealed that educational leveldid not influence attitude towards the physically challenged. However, it was found that exposure to a person with physical challenges influenced the attitudes toward people with a physical disability.