Intellectual Disability and Stigma

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxi

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2. Theory and Concepts

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Toward Understanding Intellectual Disability Stigma: Introduction

      • Katrina Scior

      Pages 3-13

   3. Measurement Methods to Assess Intellectual Disability Stigma

      • Shirli Werner

      Pages 15-27

3. The Consequences of Intellectual Disability Stigma

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 29-29

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   2. How Stigma Affects the Lives of People with Intellectual Disabilities: An Overview

      • Nicole Ditchman, Kristin Kosyluk, Eun-Jeong Lee, Nev Jones

      Pages 31-47

   3. How Stigma Affects Us: The Voice of Self-advocates

      • Dana Roth, Heli Peretz, Dorit Barak

      Pages 49-59

   4. Rarely Seen, Seldom Heard: People with Intellectual Disabilities in the Mass Media

      • Rebecca Renwick

      Pages 61-75

   5. Stigmatic Representation of Intellectual Disability and Termination of Parental Custody Rights

      • Hanna Björg Sigurjónsdóttir, James G. Rice

      Pages 77-90

   6. Self-stigma in People with Intellectual Disabilities

      • Rory Sheehan, Afia Ali

      Pages 91-109

   7. Intellectual Disability, Stigma, and Hate Crimes

      • Mark Sherry, Anna Neller

      Pages 111-126

4. Tackling Intellectual Disability Stigma

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 127-127

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   2. Interventions Aimed at Tackling Intellectual Disability Stigma: What Works and What Still Needs to Be Done

      • Shirli Werner, Katrina Scior

      Pages 129-147

   3. Relationships Matter: Addressing Stigma Among Children and Youth with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Peers

      • Erik W. Carter, Elizabeth E. Biggs, Carly L. Blustein

      Pages 149-164

   4. Empowering People with Intellectual Disabilities to Challenge Stigma

      • Sian Anderson, Christine Bigby

      Pages 165-177

   5. Tackling Stigma in Developing Countries: The Key Role of Families

      • Roy McConkey, Callista Kahonde, Judith McKenzie

      Pages 179-194

   6. The Law as a Source of Stigma or Empowerment: Legal Capacity and Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

      • J. Fiala-Butora, M. A. Stein

      Pages 195-207

   7. Intellectual Disability, Group Identification, and Self-Evaluation

      • J. Crabtree, W. Mandy, H. Mustard

      Pages 209-220

5. Back Matter

   Pages 221-230

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This book examines how intellectual disability is affected by stigma and how this stigma has developed. Around two per cent of the world's population have an intellectual disability but their low visibility in many places bears witness to their continuing exclusion from society. This prejudice has an impact on the family of those with an intellectual disability as well as the individual themselves and affects the well-being and life chances of all those involved. This book provides a framework for tackling intellectual disability stigma in institutional processes, media representations and other, less overt, settings. It also highlights the anti-stigma interventions which are already in place and the central role that self-advocacy must play. 

• Disability studies
• Social Psychology
• Minority
• Prejudice
• Abnormal Psychology
• Individual Differences

“That stigma is an important issue is not in doubt but how do we understand its origins and manifestations and the impact it has on people with intellectual disabilities and their families? This book explores these and other aspects and addresses the question of what we should do in response to it and how we as individuals and societies might prevent it.” (Tony Holland, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK)

“Edited by leading experts in their field, this text will become indispensable to all who want to understand and address the impact of discrimination and stigma on the wellbeing of people with intellectual disabilities. It deserves to be on the reading lists of all training courses that prepare people to work with children or adults with intellectual disability.” (Eric Emerson, Professor of Disability Population Health, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, Australia)

“Scior and Werner have assembled a masterfulteam of scientists and advocates to summarize the state of research on the stigma of intellectual disabilities.” (Patrick W. Corrigan Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA)

“This book will help expose generations of often unconscious bias while opening many eyes to the possibility of a more welcoming future.” (Timothy Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics)

• Department of Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

  Katrina Scior

• Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

  Shirli Werner

Katrina Scior is Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at University College London, UK.  She has published widely on stigma associated with intellectual disability, and is concerned with identifying effective interventions to tackle such stigma in diverse cultural and economic contexts. 


Shirli Werner is Senior Lecturer at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Shirli has published widely on intellectual disability stigma theory and measurement, public stigma, stigma held by service providers and impact of stigma on family members.

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