Contact with people with functional difference and conceptions of disability

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to verify whether the conceptions of disability are related to intergroup contact between people with and without functional difference. The concepts of disability conceptions and intergroup contact were used as references. The study was carried out in two stages: in the first, of a quantitative nature, 196 university students from the last five periods of the Production Engineering and Administration courses participated. In the second, qualitative stage, 14 university students were interviewed, who belonged to different clusters. It was concluded that the intergroup contact with people with functional difference change the destines and possibilities of these people and creates conditions for the development of different conceptions of disability. These conceptions can facilitate or hinder the inclusion processes in the work. The practical implications of the investigation were discussed.