Negative Irish attitudes to people with disabilities have been uncovered in a survey that will be discussed at a conference in Dublin tomorrow.
The survey, conducted for the National Disability Authority (NDA), found that only 36 per cent of Irish people think children with mental health problems should attend the same school as other children.
The NDA said the findings were "stark".
The survey highlights findings based on research carried out last year and compares it with the findings of a survey taken five years earlier.
The previous survey found that 84 per cent of people would not object to children with disabilities - not just mental disabilities - attending the same class as their own children.
Of those who objected, 67 per cent cited "special needs considerations".
Some 34 per cent said this practice of integration would hinder the education of children with disabilities, while 27 per cent said it would hinder the education of children without disabilities.
The NDA has regularly stressed the fact that negative attitudes can present the biggest barrier to inclusion that people with disabilities face in Irish society.
It has found that people with mental health difficulties are the group that suffers from the greatest negative perception.
The 2001 survey showed that while there was strong public support for the inclusion of people with physical or sensory disabilities in society, the support was less marked for people with mental health difficulties.
It also highlighted negative attitudes towards living near people with mental health problems.
The findings will be discussed at a conference tomorrow, Attitude Is Everything: Understanding and Improving Attitudes to Disability, at the Radisson SAS hotel at Dublin airport at 10am.
