Social acceptance of individuals in different life stages towards individuals with intellectual disabilities

This research was conducted to examine the social acceptance of individuals in different life stages towards individuals with intellectual disabilities. The study is a cross-sectional and relational study designed by using a screening search from quantitative research methods. The study group consists of 660 people living in Ankara between the ages of 11-60. In the study group, Personal Information Form for Adolescents and Social Acceptance Scale were used for the participants in the 11-18 age group; Personal Information Form for Adults and Social Distance Scale were applied to participants in the 19-60 age group. Social Distance Scale was developed by the researcher in accordance with individuals with intellectual disabilities, based on the scale Arkar developed for individuals with mental illness. The SPSS 22.0 program was used for the analysis of the data. The LISREL program was used for confirmatory factor analysis in the development of the Social Distance Scale. The research findings were evaluated separately for adolescents and adults. According to the results of Social Distance Scale applied to adults; the fact that participants who had a relative or a friend with an intellectual disability and that they have knowledge of intellectual disability have increased the social acceptance. According to the results of the Social Acceptance Scale applied to the adolescents; the fact that adolescents who had a relative with an intellectual disability and that they have knowledge of intellectual disability have increased the social acceptance. However, the social acceptance of adolescents is seen to decrease when they are friends with intellectual disabilities in the current class. It was determined that the social acceptance of male participants was lower in adolescents. According to the findings of the research, the social acceptance of adults and adolescents towards individuals with intellectual disabilities can be expressed as high. The study is important in terms of determining the variables that affect social acceptance towards individuals with intellectual disabilities. It is proposed that research findings should be considered when developing policies and programs to increase social acceptance.