Attitudes of Pre-Service Social Work Students Toward People with Disabilities in Taiwan

Pey-Chun Pan
Assistant Professor of Department of Social Work,
National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (TAIWAN)
Roy K. Chen
School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling,
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (USA)
Hui-Ting Hsieh
postgraduate student
National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (TAIWAN)

Health and human services professionals must show competence when working with clients or patients from diverse backgrounds. Successful delivery of rehabilitation and health services to individuals with disabilities hinges in large part on the provider's knowledge, personal values and beliefs, and views toward disability. It is therefore critical to assess the attitudes of pre-service health / human services workers so that any negative thoughts and views about disability can be addressed before they interact directly with their clients or patients. The research team collected 200 undergraduate social work students' questionnaire, and try to answer the following questions: 1) Attitudes of pre-service health & human services students toward people with disabilities; (2) Hierarchy of preference toward disability groups; and (3) Factors predictive of attitudes toward people with disabilities. The research objects are at least 18 years old and currently enrolled in the social work programs. The period of data collection and analysis is during 2022 March to 2023 June. The analysis and conclusion includes compassion and its link to pro-social behaviors, the hierarchy of preference toward disability types, and the people's beliefs about suffering.