Orientations Toward Disability: Differences over the lifecourse

This article presents the results of a study of differences in orientation toward disability over the lifecourse. The study was based on an instrument developed by the authors, the Questionnaire on Disability Identity and Opportunity (QDIO). This instrument measures two dimensions of disability: participation and orientation. Orientation, in turn, consists of the dimensions of identity, role, and model. In an earlier study, the QDIO was validated with a convenience sample of 388 people with disabilities in the United States. Using the same data, this article focuses on the association between disability orientation and ageing. Among other findings, we found that age was negatively associated with "disability pride" and positively associated with exclusion. However, the interpretation of these findings is limited by the fact that age was strongly associated with age at disability onset in this sample. The discussion speculates about why older adults are less likely to have been exposed to the "social model" of disability and suggests the value of these findings for interventions with older populations.