Attitudes towards veterans with disabilities

Society often perceives people with military injuries as “others.” The team of the show “The Bachelor” wanted to prove that mass content can become a tool for social transformation. To change the public perception of veterans with disabilities.

The data showed a noticeable shift in perception:

• 71% of respondents recognized veterans with disabilities as attractive — compared to 52% before the broadcast.
• 79% believe that veterans can have a fulfilling romantic life (versus 68% before the show).
• 69% can imagine someone from their close circle marrying a veteran with a disability (up from 56% before the broadcast).
• And most importantly — 90% of those surveyed stated they are open to content where veterans are the main characters. This is 8 points higher than before the show’s release.

The project proved that entertainment content can be a powerful tool for social change. The Gradus research demonstrated and measured this effect, turning emotion into evidence.
The case received the ESOMAR 2025 Gold Award in the Best Social Impact Research category.

Method: self-completion of the questionnaire in the Gradus mobile application.

Research period: first wave — before the premiere of the 13th season of “The Bachelor,” October 31, 2024; second wave — after the completion of the project, January 14-15, 2025.
Sample: reflects the population structure of cities with 50,000 residents or more, aged 18-60.