An ancient Hindu text, the Manusmriti states that people with disability are suffering punishment for the crimes they allegedly committed in their previous lives. It also goes on to point out that these said individuals are to be excluded from religious activities as they can contaminate them by their presence. Furthermore, it advised the other participants to avoid contact with the disabled in order to maintain their own purity. 


Although written in the 2nd century BCE, many emerging from the rural establishments of Indian subcontinent, extend their beliefs to include the negative karma of the parents of the disabled as a contributing factor. As a result of this association, the disabled are often locked indoors as their presence affects the family's societal position.


The charitable model of disability is popular amongst the educated class. Although still bearing a belief in Karma, they have now begun to accumulate positive actions such as charity toward the disabled, in order to improve their own pre-existing karma. It is considered, in this class, a dharmic duty for all able-bodied people to care for the disabled. 


Unfortunately, some people still believe in the guidelines offered by Manusmriti which reference a form of Karma called Runanabandha, which is transported from one individual to another by contact. Hence, to avoid a disabled's karma from being imprinted upon a person, charity is often provided indirectly or for a short periods of time in order to prevent any transference.

Hinduism and attitudes towards the disability

In Buddhism there exists a common belief that bad karma causes pain, discomfort, agony, sorrow and bad luck. There is a sort of condescending attitude toward the disabled. It is a common belief that they are the bearers of bad luck. Often, children are abandoned as their parents are ashamed of their disability. 

Just as Hindus, Buddhists believe that showing kindness, helping the disabled can improve one's own karma. While kindness ensures bridging the gap between the abled and the disabled, it doesn't promote equality. 

Buddhism and attitudes towards disability

In Islam, neither the disabled nor their parents are at fault for the resultant condition. It is a challenge set by Allah that the person must overcome. However, disobeying the prophet is also believed to be a cause for disability. 

Although, the Qur'an urges believers to treat the disabled with kindness, as Allah watches over all their actions, within the contemporary Islam, there exists a feeling of shame amongst family members of the disabled. Hence, the disabled are often kept indoors, prevented from attending the mosque and other gatherings. 

Islam and attitudes towards disability

Linked child nodes contain Christian Doctrine and its effects on disability acceptance within and outside of Christian populations.

Christian Doctrines Which  Effect Attitudes Toward Disability

The impact of religious belief and culture on the acceptance of disability within and outside of religious circles. 

Pepperdine University

The degree to which an individual culture, be it national, religious, class, education level, or otherwise, has a positive or negative (inclusive or exclusive) response to disabled individuals within their culture. 

Public Attitude Toward Disability

DEBORAH SELWAY & ADRIAN F. ASHMAN (1998) Disability, Religion and Health: A literature review in search of the spiritual dimensions of disability, Disability & Society, 13:3, 429-439, DOI: 10.1080/09687599826722


Disability, Religion and Health: A Literature Review in Search of the Spiritual Dimensions of Disability

The positive or negative response of individuals towards the disabled make up the public attitude and response toward disability. It has been shown there are four main determinates of whether or not a individual's response to disability is positive or negative to the disabled community within the wider culture.  Those factors are: 

- Knowledge/familiarity with the Disabled
- Contact with the Disabled
- Gender of the individual 
- Education Level

Determinates of Public Attitudes Toward Disability

Religious Attitudes Toward Disability

The quality of being discriminatory or prejudiced against those with disabilities.
Ableist behaviors can include stereotyping and devaluing people with disabilities or in some cases violence towards those with disabilities. 

Ableism (Disablism)

- Individualism's Effect on Public Acceptance on Disability

Societal Values' Effect on Acceptance of Disability

Attitudes toward deafness can be divided into two groups: the clinical and the cultural model.

1) The Clinical Model: Deafness is viewed as a handicap, a medical condition, or a deficiency. Deafness is viewed as something needing to be fixed, through such means as hearing aids and cochlear implants.

2) The Cultural Model: People with hearing difficulties are viewed as a linguistic and cultural minority group within a hearing society, marked by difference rather than limitation.

Attitudes Toward Deafness/ Two Conflicting Models

The sexuality of those with disabilities is frequently erased by the public and disabled people are often viewed as being asexual. Having sexual relations with disabled people is also often stigmatized and viewed as taboo.

Public Attitudes Toward Disability and Sexuality

The idea of disability studies within an educational setting has changed academic viewpoints for many areas of study. Essentially, there is growing acknowledgement of how disability studies highlight both hypothetical and practical questions regarding individual and structural standards and expectations that have previously been established by society. 

Attitudes Towards Educational Opportunities

TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect, and institutionalization. 

TASH Organization

Online Communication and Disability

The success of the London 2012 Paralympics highlighted new possibilities for individuals with disabilities and opened up discussions about the relationship between elite Paralympians and advanced prosthetic technology. Paralympic athletes such as Oscar Pistorius and Aimee Mullins have contributed significantly to a growing awareness of the cultural impact of prosthetic aesthetics on body image. The discussion surrounding this topic revolves around the relationship between the perceived attractiveness and societal attitudes of individuals with prosthetics.

Societal Attitudes Toward Individuals With Prosthetics and How That Affect Body Image

Individuals with disabilities face varying stigmas based on whether or not their disability is seen as visible or invisible. These stigmas are most prominant in social, vocational, and educational settings. 

The differences in stigmatizing effects of visible versus invisible disabilities 

The visibility of a disability is often determined by the ease of its perception by others and does not often take into concern the impact that the disability has on the person with the disability. This leads to differing attitudes regarding people with disabilities often leading to an inadequate understanding of invisible disabilities. 

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