A Japanese Self-Advocacy Scale for Students with Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

In Japan, there are limited tools for measuring the actual situation of self-advocacy, creating a need to develop a Japanese Self-Advocacy Scale and examine its reliability and validity. For this purpose, the researchers conducted an online survey of 202 individuals with developmental disabilities attending higher education institutions. Three factors were extracted to create the main constructs of the scale: “Knowledge of and Acting on Rights,” “Knowledge and Affirmation of Self,” and “Self-Assertion.” This structure inherited the existing conceptual framework of self-advocacy using a different internal construction. The scale developed in this study reflected a narrow definition of “Knowledge of Self,” focusing on the understanding of disability characteristics, rather than a broader self-understanding that includes knowledge of one’s strengths and preferences. This focus was found to be an appropriate component of self-advocacy. Furthermore, it was revealed that knowing one’s rights and acting on those rights are continuous and interconnected activities and not easily separable. The scale achieved a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.938, indicating a strong positive correlation with existing scales for similar purposes and demonstrating reliability and validity. This newly developed scale reflects the cultural and educational context of Japan and is specifically tailored for individuals with developmental disabilities.