A SURVEY STUDY ON ATTITUDES OF SPECIAL OLYMPIC GAMES VOLUNTEERS TOWARD THE INCLUSION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN CHINA

Abstract

Currently no study investigates the extent of exposure to people with ID among Special Olympic Games (SOG) volunteers and the relationship between the exposure and attitudes toward the inclusion of individuals with ID. Thus, the present study was to investigate this gap. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with three hundred and eighty six SOG volunteers for the 5th (China) SOG in 2010. The results revealed that SOG volunteers were exposed to ID mainly through secondary sources (e.g., parents and mass media). There was a positive correlation between exposure to ID and attitude towards the inclusion of individuals with ID. There were no significant gender and age effects in attitude towards the inclusion of people with ID. It was suggested that the inclusion of people with ID in the Chinese social context can be advocated by increasing the exposure of the volunteers to people with ID.