Over the past two decades, trends of integration processes in terms of citizens of different ethnicities, different gender and different sexual belongings, etc. has grown thanks to debates and new legislations. A marginalized and discriminated group in society such as women, immigrants, homosexuals, transsexuals and people with disabilities during this time has gained momentum in the community. The curiosity over whether these developments have changed our attitudes and values to the world around us, and if so how, is the reason for this master's thesis in disability studies.

The Swedish development forms the basis for my belief on a younger generation of people who would be more tolerant than previous generations, in terms of what is considered to belong to the norm in our society, or not. The purpose of this study is therefore to increase knowledge about what beliefs young people today have about people with disabilities. The questions that the study is based on are: What does young people characterizes as a normal  or an abnormal human being? What thoughts do young people have about the people who deviate from the norm? What beliefs do they have regarding people with disabilities?

To achieve the objective, the choice has fallen on a qualitative approach. Empirical data were collected through a focus group of four 18-year-olds, where they based on specific themes, have associated and discussed freely. For the processing and interpretation of the data collection, Moscovici (1984) theory of social representations has been used. By interpreting the focus groups discussions, the result shows that people with disabilities still are highly regarded and treated as people who should be "corrected" by the individual / medical model.