There are many different models of disability. They change the way people define and look at disability. Even in the UK government there is no consistent definition of disability.
I will cover the most common models of disability.
Without realising it everyone uses a model of their world. This includes models of disability. The models that people use shape the way they behave how they treat others. More formal models of disability are also used by organisations to set policy.
It is important to remember that all models are a simplification of reality. Therefore they do not deal with all the details of real life. However they provide us with useful ways of thinking about complex situations.
I’m going to discuss some of the most common models of disability. I will cover the following models.
This is only a small sample of the models used. Disability equality training uses the Social Model.
Medical Model
The Medical Model is one of the most common models of disability. It is the used by the medical profession, governments and many non government organisations.
In the medical model the person is disabled because of their impairment. They therefore need to be healed (or fixed) to make them well or more normal. This model focuses on the individual and what is “wrong” with them.
This model can ignore social and environmental factors. It places the source of the problem within a single impaired person. It concludes that solutions are found by focusing on the individual. Therefore they focus on adapting the individual to cope with society.
The World Health Organization (WHO) uses the medical model of disability. It introduced a framework for working with disability.
The framework was published in the “International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps”. The framework proposed to approach disability by using the terms Impairment, Handicap and Disability.
Impairment
A loss or abnormality of physical bodily structure or function, of logic-psychic origin, or physiological or anatomical origin
Disability
Any limitation or function loss deriving from impairment that prevents the performance of an activity in the time lapse considered normal for a human being
Handicap
The disadvantaged condition deriving from impairment or disability limiting a person performing a role considered normal in respect of age, sex and social and cultural factors
Positives
- Can works for impairments caused by treatable disease.
- Gets the medical profession funding to do their work.
- Can help to provide valuable accessibility aids.
Negatives
- Disabled people are considered broken or abnormal.
- Defines the person as the problem.
- Promotes segregation of disabled people.
- Promotes pitying and degrading of disabled people.
- Can give control of disabled persons life to a “Medical Professional”.
Tragedy /Charity Model
The tragedy model is another very common model. Charities use this model, especially when fund raising. In this model disabled people are the tragic victims of circumstance. It follows that the disabled people need help.
The model requires the disabled person to have no control of the circumstances. In the tragedy model disabled people need to be cared for. They are thought to be unable to look after themselves.
Positives
- Can raise vital funds for equipment and services
Negatives
- Promotes pitying disabled people
- Can give control of disabled persons life to a “Carer”
- Encourages segregation of disabled people
- Gives rise to Just Ask Don’t Grab situations
Religious /Moral Model
These models can be treated as a single model as they are so similar. The models say that disabled person is morally responsible for their impairment. This by having done something wrong. In some religions that believe in re-incarnation they could have done something wrong in a previous life.
A variation on this idea is that the disabled persons parents did something wrong. Some believe that cognitive impairments and mental health issues are caused by “Evil Spirits“.
These ideas may sound like they aren’t used in modern society. However they are still very common. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve had people offering to pray for me. Disabled people still get treated like they are to blame for their disability.
Positives
- NONE
Negatives
- Treats disabled people as evil
- Degrades disabled people and their families
- Can cause disabled people and their families to be completely excluded from society
- Can justify not helping or even abuse
Social Model
In the 1970s the social model was developed as a reaction to the Medical Model. It has developed over the years to include more impairments. The phrase “Social model of disability” was coined in the 1980s. The fundamental concern of the social model is equality.
The social model points to barriers in society as the cause of disability. This is in contrast to the other models. The barriers are not just physical ones. They can be any in form. Examples include physical, information, procedural or attitudes.
From personal experience the most common and worst barriers are attitudes. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve had access blocked by other peoples poor attitude.
Impairment
Difference or health condition that a person has e.g. Dyslexia, Multiple Sclerosis, Hearing impairment.
The impairment can be of any type and either hidden or visible.
Disability
A condition arising from barriers in society. E.g. wheelchair user may not be disabled on flat ground. However steps would be a barrier and cause them to be disabled.
Here are links to 2 great YouTube videos on the social model:
Positives
- Based on equality
- Focus on changing society
- Includes disabled people rather than excluding them
- Empowers disabled people
- Benefits everyone
Negatives
- Can ignore the impact of some impairments. Some impairments are disabling in themselves.
- Adjustments for one impairment can cause issue for others