Increasing Positive Perception of Disability Through Depictions of Animals with Disabilities
Across the globe, many animals with disabilities live in zoos and aquariums, yet these institutions often face difficult questions about how to share those stories with the public in a way that raises awareness and minimizes concern about the animals’ well-being. This study explored whether anthropo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1861 |
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| author | Cameron T. Whitley Marta Burnet Em Sherwood Denny Dulaney Alexander Jones Courtney Cordova Emma Hindes Katya Ankoudinova Brooklyn Wehr Corin Yates Brooke Tucker Tut Fuentevilla Caitlin Allessi Tess Busch Kevin Kollar Michelle Hanenburg Natalie Stier |
| author_facet | Cameron T. Whitley Marta Burnet Em Sherwood Denny Dulaney Alexander Jones Courtney Cordova Emma Hindes Katya Ankoudinova Brooklyn Wehr Corin Yates Brooke Tucker Tut Fuentevilla Caitlin Allessi Tess Busch Kevin Kollar Michelle Hanenburg Natalie Stier |
| author_sort | Cameron T. Whitley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Across the globe, many animals with disabilities live in zoos and aquariums, yet these institutions often face difficult questions about how to share those stories with the public in a way that raises awareness and minimizes concern about the animals’ well-being. This study explored whether anthropomorphic narrative signage could help visitors form meaningful emotional connections with these animals and, in doing so, encourage greater understanding and support for people with disabilities. Drawing on ideas from contact and transfer theories, we conducted observational research in zoo settings, comparing visitor reactions to no signage, detailed signage, and simple signage. We found that simple signage resulted in fewer negative comments, fewer questions about the animal’s health, and less frustration directed at the organization. In a related survey experiment, participants who saw a photo and brief story about an animal with a disability were more likely to express empathy and hold more positive views toward both animals and people with disabilities. These findings highlight the power of accessible messaging in informal learning spaces to reduce stigma and promote inclusion. The project was led by a diverse, interdisciplinary team of zoo professionals and disability scholars, most of whom bring personal experience with physical or cognitive disabilities to the work. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-68d51fc25e5d44ae990794944b89f802 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-68d51fc25e5d44ae990794944b89f8022025-08-20T03:17:04ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-06-011513186110.3390/ani15131861Increasing Positive Perception of Disability Through Depictions of Animals with DisabilitiesCameron T. Whitley0Marta Burnet1Em Sherwood2Denny Dulaney3Alexander Jones4Courtney Cordova5Emma Hindes6Katya Ankoudinova7Brooklyn Wehr8Corin Yates9Brooke Tucker10Tut Fuentevilla11Caitlin Allessi12Tess Busch13Kevin Kollar14Michelle Hanenburg15Natalie Stier16Department of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USAWoodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA 98103, USADepartment of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USAHenry Vilas Zoo, Madison, WI 53715, USAWoodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA 98103, USAHenry Vilas Zoo, Madison, WI 53715, USADepartment of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USADepartment of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USADepartment of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USADepartment of Sociology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USAZoo Montana, Billings, MT 59106, USAGrizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, Yellowstone, MT 59758, USAComo Park Zoo and Conservatory, St. Paul, MN 55103, USADenver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Denver, CO 80205, USAColumbus Zoo & Aquarium, Columbus, OH 43065, USAAlaska SeaLife Center, Seward, AK 99664, USAUtah’s Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USAAcross the globe, many animals with disabilities live in zoos and aquariums, yet these institutions often face difficult questions about how to share those stories with the public in a way that raises awareness and minimizes concern about the animals’ well-being. This study explored whether anthropomorphic narrative signage could help visitors form meaningful emotional connections with these animals and, in doing so, encourage greater understanding and support for people with disabilities. Drawing on ideas from contact and transfer theories, we conducted observational research in zoo settings, comparing visitor reactions to no signage, detailed signage, and simple signage. We found that simple signage resulted in fewer negative comments, fewer questions about the animal’s health, and less frustration directed at the organization. In a related survey experiment, participants who saw a photo and brief story about an animal with a disability were more likely to express empathy and hold more positive views toward both animals and people with disabilities. These findings highlight the power of accessible messaging in informal learning spaces to reduce stigma and promote inclusion. The project was led by a diverse, interdisciplinary team of zoo professionals and disability scholars, most of whom bring personal experience with physical or cognitive disabilities to the work.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1861animals with disabilityzoosaquariumspeople with disabilitiesdisability in conservationstrategic anthropomorphism |
| spellingShingle | Cameron T. Whitley Marta Burnet Em Sherwood Denny Dulaney Alexander Jones Courtney Cordova Emma Hindes Katya Ankoudinova Brooklyn Wehr Corin Yates Brooke Tucker Tut Fuentevilla Caitlin Allessi Tess Busch Kevin Kollar Michelle Hanenburg Natalie Stier Increasing Positive Perception of Disability Through Depictions of Animals with Disabilities Animals animals with disability zoos aquariums people with disabilities disability in conservation strategic anthropomorphism |
| title | Increasing Positive Perception of Disability Through Depictions of Animals with Disabilities |
| title_full | Increasing Positive Perception of Disability Through Depictions of Animals with Disabilities |
| title_fullStr | Increasing Positive Perception of Disability Through Depictions of Animals with Disabilities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Increasing Positive Perception of Disability Through Depictions of Animals with Disabilities |
| title_short | Increasing Positive Perception of Disability Through Depictions of Animals with Disabilities |
| title_sort | increasing positive perception of disability through depictions of animals with disabilities |
| topic | animals with disability zoos aquariums people with disabilities disability in conservation strategic anthropomorphism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1861 |
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