The level of tolerance for women and men with disabilities is very low despite such positive characteristics as “optimists”, “full of life” and “fighters” attributed to these person. The persons with disabilities in the community are exposed to a number of risks, such as violence and marginalization, show data of an opinion poll of perceptions and attitudes about disability in society.
The poll was conducted in the districts of Strășeni and Fălești, where activities are carried out as part of the project “Accept Disability, not yet Violence” that was implemented between January 15, 2021 and November 15, 2021 in the framework of the program “Together Against Gender Stereotypes and Gender-Based Violate” that is financed by the EU and is implemented in concert with UN Women and UNFPA, IPN reports.
Some 65% of the respondents said the women and men with disabilities are equally exposed to violence. Humiliation through insulting language is the most often form of violence among men and women. According to community members, the persons with disabilities meet with problems in their integration into the community. The incorrect conceptions, negative attitudes or lack of knowledge directly affect their integration.
The study also shows the persons with disabilities are treated with indifference by most of the members of the community. Almost 60% of the respondents admit that the community members do not know how to communicate with such persons, while 60.39% said they are not sufficiently informed how to help a person with disabilities. Another 68.31% of those polled ‘fully agree’ or ‘agree’ with the assertion that the members of their community ignore the rights and interests of persons with disabilities.
According to the collected data, 68.31% of those surveyed said the persons with disabilities who are victims of violence experience more difficulties in accessing services than the victims without disabilities.
Given the study results, it was recommended to take measures in the communities of Strășeni and Fălești districts to raise communities’ awareness of the specific needs of persons with disabilities, without labeling them. Activities should be carried out to contribute to a higher level of acceptance and tolerance of persons with disabilities in communities and to help these persons realize their rights and fully integrate into the community.
Among the recommendations for preventing negative attitudes to the persons with disabilities are also to conduct media information and public education campaigns and to introduce harsher penalties for violence against women and men with disabilities.
