Brazilian university students' positions on normative concepts related to disability

Abstract

We sought to investigate the circulating concept of disability among university students, since its analysis is essential for the construction of less exclusionary social spheres, through an online form containing a sociodemographic questionnaire and the  Escala Intercultural de Concepções de Deficiência – EICD (Intercultural Scale of Conceptions of Disability) to students of public Brazilian universities in the five regions of the country. 1568 responses were obtained, and the data were statistically treated. In the researched universe, groups present a greater or lesser tendency of agreement with the Social and Biological conceptions, and disagreement with the Metaphysical conception. The findings indicate the possible interventions of Psychology with future professionals in the university context, contributing to a more critical analysis of disability, that is, promoting the recognition of human diversity and the rupture with normative standards that conceive different bodies as dysfunctional or incapable, whether by behavioral, sensory or physical characteristics.