Development and Validation of the Ableist Microaggressions Scale

Abstract

Overt and covert experiences of prejudice and discrimination have been associated with increased stress and distress among people with disabilities. Although researchers have explored people with disabilities’ experiences with microaggressions, no measure exists to assess disability microaggressions. The present research was conducted to develop and validate a scale that measures microaggressions experienced by people with physical disabilities, the Ableist Microaggressions Scale (AMS). Study 1 developed the preliminary AMS based on eight primary disability microaggressions domains outlined in Keller and Galgay’s (2010) qualitative study, as well as expert feedback, cognitive interviews, and a pilot study. Study 2 consisted of exploratory factor analysis ( N = 559) to determine factor structure, and a 4-factor model emerged. Study 3 confirmed the factor structure through confirmatory factor analysis ( N = 833), and demonstrated adequate validity and reliability for the 20-item AMS. Additional findings, implications, and limitations are discussed.