Public Awareness of Disability Support Services and Support for Disability-Inclusive Measures in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

Background/Objectives: Saudi Arabia has expanded disability support services and rights-based policies under Vision 2030. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives may depend partly on public awareness of available services and societal support for disability-inclusive measures. This study assessed public awareness of disability support services, support for disability-inclusive measures, and factors associated with both domains among adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted across all five regions of Saudi Arabia using a structured self-administered questionnaire distributed through social media with snowball dissemination. A total of 948 adults participated. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis identified composite scores for awareness (two items; Cronbach’s alpha = 0.846) and support for disability-inclusive measures (four items; Cronbach’s alpha = 0.845) using five-point Likert-scale responses. A structural equation model was fitted to examine factors associated with both outcomes, with support regressed on awareness to examine their association. Results: The median awareness score was 8.0 (IQR 6.0–9.0) of 10, and the median support score was 19.0 (IQR 17.0–20.0) of 20. More than 84% of participants agreed or strongly agreed with each support item. Awareness was positively associated with support for disability-inclusive measures. Awareness was lower among participants in the Eastern and Northern regions compared with the Central region, and among those with a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree compared with primary-school education. Support for disability-inclusive measures was higher among participants in the Western region and those with secondary-school or bachelor’s-degree education, and lower among those with no or uncertain previous personal contact with a person with a disability, and among those most familiar with hearing impairment. Public awareness campaigns were the most frequently endorsed strategy for improving disability inclusion (75.4%). Conclusions: Public support for disability-inclusive measures in Saudi Arabia was high, while self-reported awareness of disability support services varied across population groups. These findings are associative and, given the cross-sectional design, cannot establish the direction of the relationship between awareness and support. The observed regional and educational differences nonetheless highlight the potential value of targeted public education and communication strategies to strengthen disability inclusion.