Combatting Intellectual Disability stigma: Testing an e-Intervention with Nigerian internet users

Volume 1 of this thesis focuses on interventions used to combat public stigma towards people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in African countries. It is presented in three parts. Part one presents a systematic review of the types of interventions conducted in African countries to combat public stigma towards people with ID. It also critically appraises the quality of evidence reported by these initiatives. The paper concludes by identifying which interventions are likely to thrive in African settings and discussing the factors that contribute to their successful implementation. However, it points out that there remains insufficient evidence to adequately judge the efficacies of such interventions and calls for more rigorous evaluations in African settings. Part two is a joint empirical study that investigates the efficacy of a brief digital intervention as a tool to combat public stigma towards people with ID in two countries: Nigeria and Kenya. The empirical paper within this volume looks at the Nigerian intervention. The intervention focuses on an integrated approach combining education and indirect contact through film. The paper outlines the impact of the integrated approach used, the study limitations and the implications for further research. Part three is a critical appraisal of the work undergone in the empirical paper. Focus is given to the need for more global research within the programme and the significant relevance of this type of work