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Quality of Life in Disability: Validation of Schalock’s Multi-Dimensional Model in the Portuguese Context

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2013

Ema Loja ,
Maria Emília Costa  and
Isabel Menezes
Ema Loja*
Affiliation:
Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
Maria Emília Costa
Affiliation:
Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
Isabel Menezes*
Affiliation:
Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ema Loja or Isabel Menezes. Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto. Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto (Portugal). E-mails: emaloja@fpce.up.pt; imenezes@fpce.up.pt
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ema Loja or Isabel Menezes. Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto. Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto (Portugal). E-mails: emaloja@fpce.up.pt; imenezes@fpce.up.pt
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Abstract

This paper aims to evaluate the validation of Schalock’s quality of life multi-dimensional model (1996) in the Portuguese context. We also analyze the quality of life of disabled people by adding a political dimension (adapted from the Minorities’ Rights Support Scale by Nata & Menezes, 2007) to this construct and seeking to understand the impact of discrimination. The sample is composed of 217 participants, most of whom have a physical disability, aged 16 to 81. Validation procedures of the Quality of Life Questionnaire (Schalock & Keith, 1993) and descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed good local and global fit indices, and the internal consistency of the scales was satisfactory. An adapted version of the instrument composed of five scales—satisfaction, competence, empowerment, equality of rights and positive discrimination—is proposed. The results reveal the importance of rights and empowerment for the quality of life of disabled people and indicate a strong critical consciousness concerning the experience of discrimination in different contexts. Taken together, the findings indicate the strong need for social and political changes in this domain.

Keywords

quality of lifedisabilitydiscriminationsociopolitical modelrights
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E16
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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Footnotes

We would like to thank Joana Cabral (PhD) for her support in statistics and Professor Schalock for the authorization to use the QoL.Q.

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