Problem: Social psychology focuses on the complexities of human interaction. As such, I wanted to determine if some of the known social psychology mechanisms and principles could be used to explain the challenges faced and the progress that has been made in the community inclusion of people with disabilities. If in fact this was the case, then I wanted to explore whether additional application of these principles could be used to advance goals for inclusion further.

Method: I pulled relevant information about various phenomena from Social Psychology (Aronson et al., 2013). Then, I consulted several other books and articles related to social psychology and disability studies to intertwine these concepts and consider how they might be related.

Results: I have concluded that an understanding of general social psychology phenomena can be used to explain both some of the barriers seen to inclusion efforts and the progress that has been made to date.

Conclusion: It is quite possible that the deliberate application of social psychological phenomena could be used to facilitate inclusion further. The impact of social psychological principles on inclusion can be divided into three areas: policy, portrayal, and practice. Policy refers to the ways in which systems, rules, and culture are set up. Portrayal deals with how people with disabilities and inclusive situations are depicted. Practice considers how inclusion is carried out. These three areas make up a trifecta of principles under which I suggest alterations that can be used to enact change toward a more inclusive world.