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This study explored the attitudes pre-service
teachers held toward people with disabilities. The
author conducted a survey methodology study via
questionnaire of repeated measures design, using the
respondents as their own controls.
The goal of this study was to find out if pre-service
teachers attitudes toward people with disabilities
were affected by descriptive labels such as physical
disability or mental disability. In other words, did
the type of disability affect the pre-service
teachers attitudes toward that person?
Findings revealed that pre-service teachers had a
more negative attitude toward people labeled with
mental disabilities, and a more positive attitude
toward people labeled with physical disabilities or
toward people whose type of disability was not
specified. In addition, findings revealed that
Elementary Education pre-service teachers had a more
positive attitude toward people with disabilities
(regardless of the descriptive label) than did
Secondary Education pre-service teachers.

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