Too different to be equal: Lack of public respect is associated with reduced self‐respect for stigmatized individuals

Abstract

Individuals with physical and mental disabilities can be stigmatized and perceived in terms of their disabilities in the public domain. This is less pervasive in the private domain, because of the presence of individuating information. We argue that disabilities decrease individuals' everyday opportunities to receive basic equality‐based respect experiences in the public domain and thus makes it difficult for them to develop a high and secure level of self‐respect (i.e., seeing the self as someone who possesses the same rights as others). These hypotheses were tested in a cross‐sectional study in Norway with 173 participants (51 males, 117 females, two trans men, and three non‐binary persons; Mage = 28.00; SD = 10.33, age range: 19–77 years), of which 60 participants reported having mental or physical disabilities. In line with our hypotheses, we found higher levels of self‐respect for individuals without mental or physical disabilities compared to individuals with mental or physical disabilities. In addition, results showed that respect experiences differed depending on the domain. Whereas individuals with and without disabilities did not significantly differ in the respect experiences they reported in the private domain, they did significantly differ in the respect experiences they reported in the public domain. In addition, respect experiences in the public domain mediated the relationship between disability and self‐respect. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of the importance of developing high and secure levels of self‐respect and in terms of how respect experiences in the public domain can be ensured for everyone.