Attitudes toward Israel's equal rights for people with disabilities law: A multiperspective approach

Objective: To examine attitudes toward the new Equal Rights for People With Disabilities Law in Israel among members of specific professional groups. Study Design: An exploratory, descriptive, crosssectional survey, using convenience samples. Measure: The Disability Rights Attitude Scale - Israel (DRASI) was designed. Results: Factor analysis yielded 4 defined factors. The most positive attitudes were found for the factor of punishment, followed by accessibility, governmental support, and, finally, employment. The most positive attitudes were expressed by the social workers and the teachers, followed by the employers, the architects, and the lawyers. Conclusions: Findings shed light on the important role of professional identity in shaping the attitudes toward disability rights. Results may contribute to the development of appropriate rehabilitation and support services.