Obstacles to inclusion

Lack of school resources, job training and community services were identified by around three quarters of those surveyed as major…

Lack of school resources, job training and community services were identified by around three quarters of those surveyed as major obstacles to the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in society.

More than half of those surveyed believed the negative attitudes of others in society, including neighbours, employers and students, were also a major barrier to inclusion.

On obstacles to employment for people with intellectual disabilities, 69 per cent of Irish people said the perception of bosses that they had no skills was a major obstacle, compared to 90 per cent in Egypt, 73 per cent in Germany, 62 per cent in the US and 53 per cent in Nigeria.

Seventy-six per cent of people worldwide said the lack of job-training programmes for people with intellectual disabilities presented a major obstacle towards their inclusion in the workplace.

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The person's inability to do the job was recorded as a major obstacle to employment by 45 per cent of Irish people, while 43 per cent said it was a minor obstacle.

Overall, 67 per cent of people said a lack of community services was a major obstacle to inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in society. Some 76 per cent said lack of job training was a major obstacle, and 78 per cent cited lack of school resources.

Some 53 per cent of people internationally said neighbours' negative attitudes were a major obstacle to inclusion, with 61 per cent citing employers' attitudes.

Some 54 per cent believed negative media portrayals of people with intellectual disabilities posed a major obstacle to their inclusion in society.

Most respondents believed that it was others' attitudes about persons with intellectual disabilities, and not necessarily their own, that affected how persons with intellectual disabilities are included in general society.