Cerebral Palsy and Stigma Study with the University of Surrey

Richard_Scope

The study has now been published in an academic paper, and I wanted to again express my thanks for all the support that you gave with the project. You have all been thanked in the acknowledgements for the project, as we couldn't have done it without you.

Description of study

A University of Surrey researcher and 2 adults with cerebral palsy (CP) worked together to develop an online survey to explore the experience of stigma among adults with CP.

A total of 87 adults with CP completed the survey

Common experiences of stigma included:

Dealing with other people's rigid stereotypes of CP (e.g., all people with CP have learning disabilities, use wheelchairs and have speech difficulties)

Being discriminated against in employment, by healthcare and by inaccessible buildings

Difficult interactions with the public, such as being stared at, spoken over, ignored, spoken to like a child or told they are a hero because they live with a disability.

Difficulties participating in activities and romantic relationships because of incorrect assumptions about CP (e.g., people with CP are asexual)

Becoming depressed, anxious or withdrawing from others because of experiences of stigma and discrimination

The most common sources of stigma were the public (89%), classmates (81%) and coworkers (73%)

What can we do about CP stigma?

1.) Remove barriers to accessibility to reduce discrimination and increase participation

2.) Improve understanding of the range of impairments associated with CP among the public.

If you want to read the full paper, you can use this link:

The experience of cerebral palsy stigma amongst adults living in the UK and Ireland: A qualitative co-designed project | PLOS One

Lucy_Scope

So refreshing to see this! Well done @Richard_Scope 😊