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Results of a public opinion poll conducted by the Minnesota Department of Public Welfare were published in 2007. The poll measured public awareness, behaviors and attitudes towards people with disabilities. Compared with a similar poll conducted in 1962, attitudes regarding people with disabilities have improved significantly.
In 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, the Cuban Missile Crisis came and went, The Beatles recorded their debut single, Love Me Do--and only 46 percent of Minnesotans felt that people with disabilities should be allowed to vote. A lot has changed since then. 
| John Glenn in 1962. A lot has changed since then for people with disabilities. |
Forty-five years ago, the Minnesota Department of Public Welfare administered a survey to measure public awareness, behaviors, and attitudes towards people with disabilities. This January, the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), in partnership with advocacy groups including United Cerebral Palsy of Minnesota (UCP of MN), polled the public on similar topics with dramatically different results. The 2007 survey, released February 22, reveals that attitudes regarding people with disabilities have improved significantly. Today, 71 percent of interviewees agree that people with disabilities should be able to vote. In 1962, only 20 percent of interviewees felt that people with disabilities should be cared for at home, compared with 77 percent today. "While most Minnesotans believed that the immediate family is in the best position to provide care for a family member with a developmental disability, there was great support for the idea that the family cannot carry the responsibility alone," said Pearson, the director of the 2007 poll. Opposition to institutionalizing people with disabilities increased dramatically--in 1962, 8 percent disagreed with the idea, while 78 percent disagree today. In 2007, eleven times as many interviewees strongly agree that people with disabilities can lead normal lives. Integration in the employment sector was strongly endorsed in the 2007 survey, with 91 percent agreeing that, with the right training, people with developmental disabilities could be very productive workers. In addition, 85 percent of 2007 respondents said they have a lot of respect for companies that employ people with developmental disabilities. Similar agreement came with the statement that "When society helps people with disabilities live to their highest potential, we're all better off." From using public beaches, attending movie theaters, driving vehicles, to drinking alcohol, Minnesotans are now much more open and supportive of including people with disabilities in all facets of society. "To fully understand these remarkable results one must remember that in 1962 a great many Minnesotans were living in state institutions, invisible to society," said Shamus O'Meara, GCDD Council Chair. "Today we see that most state residents believe people with developmental disabilities should fully participate in the community." Advocates plan to use these largely positive results to lobby state legislators to help fund vocational training, education, affordable housing and other services for people with disabilities. In addition to UCP of MN, research co-sponsors included The Arc of Minnesota, The Autism Society of Minnesota, Self Advocates of Minnesota, and The State Council on Disability. To read the full report, visit the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities' Web site. |
Think ABILITY First! 
