Social representations of disability in university students

Abstract

Training on disability in the university context allows understanding the historical, cultural and personal position of this situation, placing the subject as a dynamic actor. The objective of this study was to determine the social representations on disability in university students of physical education. A multi-methodological approach was used, supported by a quantitative descriptive and qualitative case study. The information was collected through surveys and the mixed technique of natural semantic networks. The results reveal that disability for university students encompasses components related to limitation (100%), inclusion (66.78%), diversity (54.20%), impairment (22.95%), capacity (19.47%), difference (11.90%), difficulty (11.17%), adaptation (8.65%) and condition (5.12%). The conclusions contribute to the reflections on disability in university training processes, in which health, participation, educational inclusion and physical activity and sport are positioned as issues to be taken into account in academic and research issues with this population.