Społeczne postrzeganie osób z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną
Social Perception of the Mentally Disabled

Summary/Abstract: The knowledge about mentally disabled people is usually learned by healthy people from parents, friends and some mes from teachers. The opinion on the mentally disabled forms through observations, stories about difficulties and often by accidental experiences. It results in the image of a disable person as someone, who is gauche and dependent. The social perception of people with mental disability, in comparison to social perception of those with physical disability, causes problems as it includes negative attitudes and prejudice. In order to avoid such attitudes healthy children should integrate with disabled, sick and different children in natural social environment. The experience of any kind of “otherness”, competent information on disability and other dysfunctions as well as openness to people may help to reduce harmful stereotypes. It is very important to support social awareness of the reasons why mental disability exists and how mentally disabled people struggle with life. The rise of such awareness may trigger the changes in perception of the disabled and improve their living standards.

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