PROMOTING POSITIVE ATTITUDES OF KINDERGARTEN-AGE CHILDREN TOWARD PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

This study examined the effects of contact, book and discussions on th e attitudes of kindergarten-age children toward people with disabiliti es. Children in the high contact group participated in a program desig ned to promote acceptance of people with disabilities; the low-contact group had incidental contact with children with disabilities; the no- contact group had neither direct nor indirect contact with children wi th disabilities. At pretest, all participants had low levels of accept ance of people with disabilities. At posttest, significant gains in le vels of acceptance were found only in the high-contact group. The prog ram appears to be an effective strategy for promoting acceptance of pe ople with disabilities.