ATTITUDES TOWARDS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES - PROMOTING AND MEASURING CHANGE IN MEDICAL-STUDENTS

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of Disability Awar eness training on medical school students. Fifth Year students at Trin ity College Medical School, Dublin were administered the Attitudes Tow ards Disabled Persons Scale (ATDPS) before and after undergoing a Disa bility Awareness training module. The module was experiential, requiri ng the students to perform a 12-hour role play in which they lived the ir lives as if they had a physical disability (mobility impairment, bl indness, deafness), Subsequent group discussions of their experiences were facilitated by a physically disabled physician, who co-ordinated the entire programme, Comparison of pre- and posttraining ATDPS scores indicated a significant improvement in attitudes for the sample, Disa bility awareness training for medical students appears to improve atti tudes toward people with disabilities. Such improvements should enhanc e communication with disabled patients.