TY  - JOUR
AU  - Tafoya, Melissa Ann 
AU  - Mongeau, Paul 
PY  - 2018
TI  - Able-Bodied Individuals’ Initial Interaction Decisions Concerning a Partner in a Wheelchair
JF  - Journal of Social Sciences
VL  - 14
IS  - 1
DO  - 10.3844/jssp.2018.203.212
UR  - https://thescipub.com/abstract/jssp.2018.203.212
AB  - Establishing and maintaining personal relationships is a quintessential part of the human experience, with a few notable exceptions, persons with disabilities have been virtually ignored by relationships scholars. This study seeks to advance disability research by examining how a wheelchair influences able-bodied participant’s perceptions of initial interactions. Using various scenarios, we asked students how they would react if they were at a bar and someone in a wheelchair showed an interest in them. Overall, men reacted more negatively than women (i.e., avoidance, sex goals, interest, homophily, etc.) at the thought of approaching someone in a wheelchair. We have an ethical obligation to break down these barriers and assumptions made by able- bodied individuals, especially since the quality of an individual’s relationships represents an important component of their quality of life.