A Longitudinal Study of Attitudes Toward Disability Among Rehabilitation Counseling Students

The purpose of the present study was to determine the extent to which a two-year master’s program in rehabilitation counselor education was associated with change in the students’ attitudes toward disability and pe1·sons with disabilities at a Southwest University in the U.S. using the Modified Issues in Disability Scale (MIDS) (Makas, 1991). There were 101 complete pretest surveys and 53 completed posttest surveys. Only those with complete data both at pretest and posttest were included in the study. Data were collected in a span of six years beginning Fall 2002 to Fall 2008. Results revealed a significant increase or improvement in attitudes among the students from pretest to posttest. Furthermore, students’ attitudes increased aci·oss the board for both traditional and distance learners, revealing that both types of enrollment were suitable for the students. An exploratory examination indicated that students who had no prior experience working with disabilities possessed less positive attitudes toward individuals with disabilities, and these attitudes are modifiable with exposure to graduate training protocols. The results of the study reveal that successful matriculation through an identified rehabi] jtation counseling program facilitates better attitudes among counselors- in-training within the context and limitations of the present study.