Models of Disability

The Medical and Social Models of Disability

Introduction

The medical model of disability assumes that disability is a medical issue requiring medical intervention. This assumption is based on the belief that disabilities are impairments that limit one’s ability to perform activities, such as walking or talking. These impairments can be treated and cured, thereby allowing people with disabilities to return to “normal.” In contrast, the social model of disability rejects the notion that disability is a disease that requires treatment. Instead, it views disability as a product of society and thus argues that disability is caused by societal factors such as discrimination and lack of access to resources.

Disabilities are often described as impairments, caused by disease, injury, congenital defects, or degenerative processes. They may be temporary or permanent. Some disabilities are obvious; others are hidden. For example, some people assume that those with hearing loss wear earplugs. Others do not realize that some people with diabetes cannot feel pain and thus do not know that they are developing diabetic neuropathy, a complication of diabetes that causes numbness and tingling in the extremities.

The term “disability” refers to a wide range of health problems that affect one’s ability to perform daily activities. These include physical disabilities such as blindness, deafness, paralysis, amputations, and mental illnesses like depression and schizophrenia. In addition, there are social, economic, legal, cultural, religious, political, and psychological factors that can influence how someone experiences life because of his or her disability.

Many people with disabilities live in poverty and lack access to healthcare, education, employment, and housing. This is particularly true for children and youth with disabilities. In fact, according to research conducted by the National Center for Children in Poverty, almost half of all children living in families with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level had a parent with a disability. And among African American children, nearly 70% lived in low-income families.

In short, disability is a complex phenomenon that touches everyone’s life. Yet, most people don’t think much about disability unless something happens to them personally. Disability scholars argue that we must change our attitudes towards disability if we want to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

What Is The Social Model Of Disability

The Social Model is a theory of disability developed by Dr. Marcia Cavell and Dr. Robert Kastenbaum in the 1970s. The Social Model is based on a philosophy called person-centeredness. Person-centeredness emphasizes the importance of relationships in people’s lives.

This model says that disability is the inability of individuals to participate fully in home, family, school, work, and community life because of their impairment(s). Functional limitations or impairments are the effects of conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, and others. These limitations impact how well someone performs daily activities like bathing, dressing, eating, walking, toileting, etc. Physical barriers include things like stairs, ramps, handrails, wheelchairs, walkers, etc. Social barriers include things like lack of transportation, inaccessible housing, inaccessible schools, inaccessible workplaces, and inaccessible communities.

Disability is a dynamic concept that changes over time. For example, a child born with cerebral palsy might grow up to become a college graduate with a career in law enforcement. A blind man might marry a woman with Down syndrome and raise children together.

The social model says that people are ‘disabled’ by barriers in society, rather than being impaired or different. These barriers include inaccessible buildings, lack of support, prejudice, and discrimination.

Barriers can be physical, such as buildings not having accessible toilets, or they can be caused by the attitudes of people towards differences.

The social model helps us recognize those barriers that make life harder in our everyday lives.

The Social Model of Disability Explained

Disability is often thought of as something negative; it’s seen as a problem, rather than a part of human diversity. But what does the social model say? This model views disability as a way of being different, and thus, as a positive thing. Rather than seeing disability as a deficit, the social model recognizes it as a difference that brings unique strengths and perspectives into our lives.

This model emphasizes the importance of understanding disability as a social construct, rather than a medical issue. It explains why disabled people are treated differently in society, and argues that this treatment is harmful and needs to change. The social model also says that disabled people deserve equal access to opportunities and resources.

In contrast to the medical model, where disability is seen as a problem caused by an illness, injury, or disease, the social model views disability as a product of societal attitudes towards those with impairments. As such, it focuses on changing society itself to ensure equal access to opportunities for everyone regardless of ability.

The social model emphasizes four key factors:

• Discrimination

• Isolation

• Stigma

• Structural inequalities

Examples of the social model in action

You’re a teenage person with a disability who wants to stay at home, but you don’t know how to pay the bills. The Social Model of Disability recognizes that with the appropriate support, you can achieve independence. The Medical Model may think that the barriers to independent life are insurmountable, so you might be assumed to need to move into a care home.

A disabled individual cannot use stairs and wishes to enter a building with a step on its front door. The Social Model of Disability suggests that this is a problem within the building, not the individual, and would recommend adding a ramp at the front door.

A woman who uses a wheelchair is excited to go out for dinner with her date. Two steps prevent her from going into the restaurant.

Social Model: The lack of a ramp made it difficult for wheelchair users to enter the building. Delivery drivers were unable to use wheeled vehicles because they could not get up the steps.

The Medical Model of Disability

According to the World Health Organization, there are about one billion people with disability issues worldwide. What do you think?

In recent decades, there has been a shift away from the traditional medical model of disability towards a social model of disability. The social model focuses on how the world around us impacts our ability to function, and it emphasizes the importance of understanding the impact of societal barriers such as inaccessible buildings, transportation, employment opportunities, and communication systems.

This model has led to the development of policies that focus on eliminating discrimination against disabled individuals. For instance, the Americans With Disabilities Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.

However, despite the progress made since the 1970s, many challenges remain. Many of today’s barriers to inclusion stem from the same structures that helped shape the medical model of disability.

The medical model views disability as a defect in the person. This view has been used since ancient times, and it continues to dominate today. A disabled person lacks something essential, like strength, speed, or intelligence. He or she is inherently inferior to others and therefore requires help to achieve his or her potential.

In contrast, the rehabilitation model sees disability as a part of human diversity. People are different, and some differences make people better suited for certain tasks. Because of their uniqueness, each person brings something unique to the world. For example, someone with Down syndrome might bring compassion and understanding while another person with Down syndrome might bring creativity and humor.

Disability is an aberration compared with normal traits and characteristics. Normal traits include physical abilities, such as strength, agility, endurance, coordination, balance, flexibility, and dexterity; cognitive abilities, such as memory, attention, reasoning, problem-solving, and language skills; emotional stability; and personality traits, such as honesty, integrity, empathy, perseverance, and selflessness.

People with disabilities often have strengths that enable them to overcome challenges. Some people with intellectual disabilities excel in math, science, technology, engineering, arts, music, sports, and leadership. Others develop creative talents, such as writing, art, dance, or acting. Still others use their disabilities as motivators to succeed.

Health Care & Social Services Professionals Have the Sole Power to Correct or Modify These Conditions

According to the World Health Organization, healthcare providers are the most trusted source of information about health issues. Yet many healthcare professionals still believe that disabilities are caused by poor parenting and lack of education. As a result, they fail to recognize the role that genetics plays in causing disabilities.

Social workers typically focus on helping people cope with difficult circumstances, such as poverty, homelessness, abuse, neglect, and family conflict. However, social workers rarely consider the impact of genetic factors on mental illness, developmental disorders, and learning disabilities.

Recognizing impairment effects without sanctioning disabling practices

Discussion of the negative effects of impairments was, for a long while, excluded from disability rights literature, in large part because of the concern that acknowledging such realities might undermine the important work of combating disability oppression and discrimination. This exclusion was partly due to worries that acknowledging such things would undermine the legitimacy of the disability rights movement. In fact, there is no reason why acknowledgment of impairment consequences cannot be fully consistent with the goals of the disability rights movement, including the goal of equal access to society.

The gains made by the disability movements are still fragile and partial. They remain precarious and incomplete. Despite significant progress, much work needs to be done to ensure that the full promise of the disability rights movement is realized. We must continue to fight against ongoing attempts to deny basic human rights and dignity to people with disabilities. At the same time, we must recognize that our victories are often partial and temporary. Our struggles are never over.

The impact of impairment on the life experiences of people with disabilities is often overlooked within disability studies. This oversight stems partly from the fact that impairments are viewed primarily as positive characteristics, despite their potential to cause harm. In addition, the focus of much disability activism has been on dismantling barriers to access rather than on challenging oppressive social norms around impairment.

Nevertheless, there are a number of ways in which impairment can negatively affect the lives of people with disabilities. For example, some impairments make it difficult to engage in activities that are essential to living independently. Other impairments limit participation in society and lead to exclusion from certain jobs and educational institutions. Some impairments are associated with stigma. And finally, some impairments have been shown to increase the likelihood of experiencing violence and abuse.

Despite the importance of recognizing impairment effects, discussions of impairment tend to take place largely behind closed doors. People with disabilities do not typically speak openly about how the impairment affects their lives. They might discuss problems related to impairment with friends or family members, but they usually keep those conversations private.

This situation raises questions about whether the voices of people with disabilities are heard enough within disability studies. If impairment effects are acknowledged, but only in private, does that mean that people with disabilities are unable to articulate their lived experiences? Or does it simply indicate that they are afraid of repercussions?

Rethinking chronic illness

Susan Wendell, a philosopher, and activist who lives with chronic fatigue syndrome writes that it’s important for us to understand our biases against disability. She says we must recognize that many disabled people are oppressed and discriminated against because of their physical differences. We must also challenge the idea that disability equals weakness.

Wendell argues that the social model of disability does not work well for those with chronic illnesses. This model focuses on individual responsibility and independence, rather than group solidarity. In fact, Wendell thinks that the social model of health care can actually make problems worse.

She believes that while the medical establishment often treats patients as passive recipients of treatment, the social model encourages individuals to take control over their own bodies. Wendell argues that this approach ignores the realities of chronic illness and makes it harder for people to cope with their conditions.

Chronic illnesses are often thought of as diseases of old age, but the reality is that many people live with conditions such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and lupus for decades. In fact, there are over 75 million Americans living with some form of chronic disease. These numbers are expected to grow as our population ages.

Mental conditions

The term “chronic condition” refers to long-term illnesses, injuries, disabilities, and diseases that require ongoing treatment and monitoring. These include diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, depression, anxiety, and many others.

Many people who suffer from chronic conditions feel stigmatized because society views them as weak, lazy, or irresponsible. They’re often told to “get over themselves.”

However, there’s no reason to be ashamed of having a chronic condition. Many people with chronic conditions lead full lives and contribute greatly to society. And some people with chronic conditions actually thrive despite their challenges.

There’s nothing wrong with being sick. Instead, we should celebrate our differences and embrace our uniqueness. We shouldn’t let chronic conditions define us.

Instead, we should use our chronic conditions to help us live better lives. We should learn to appreciate life and live every day to its fullest. We should take control of our health and well-being. We should seek out support when needed. We should find ways to cope with our chronic conditions and improve our quality of life.

We should never give up hope. We should keep fighting for our rights and fight for change. We should work hard to overcome obstacles and barriers. We should strive to become independent and self-sufficient. We should not allow ourselves to be defined by our chronic conditions.

We should instead redefine chronic illness. We should reevaluate the meaning of chronic illness. We should rethink the stigma associated with chronic illness. We should stop letting chronic conditions define us. We should stop living in fear. We should stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We should stop allowing chronic conditions to limit our dreams. We should stop accepting defeat.

We should instead embrace our differences and accept our uniqueness. We should celebrate our differences and celebrate our uniqueness. We should embrace our differences and embrace our unique qualities. We should embrace our chronic conditions and embrace our uniqueness.

We should rediscover our purpose and live every day to the fullest. We should live each moment to its fullest. We must live each day to its fullest.

We should live every day to its utmost potential. We should live every day to the maximum. We should live every single day to its fullest. Every single day.

Every single day.

We should live each day to its utmost potential, to the max. We should live every minute to its fullest. We need to live every second to its fullest. We cannot afford to waste a single second.

Every second counts.

What Are Chronic Illnesses

Chronic illness is defined as having a disease or condition that lasts longer than three months. There are several types of chronic illnesses including mental health issues, medical conditions, and physical disabilities.

People who suffer from chronic illnesses often face challenges when trying to find employment because employers may not be aware of these conditions. This means that many chronically ill individuals must rely on family members or friends to help them obtain work.

The Social Model of Disability (SMD) is a theory that explains how disability occurs within society. According to this model, disability results from interactions between social structures, personal characteristics, and environmental factors.

According to the SMD, there are four major components of disability: 1) impairment; 2) activity limitations; 3) participation restrictions; and 4) contextual barriers. These components interact to create disability. Impairment refers to the body’s inability to perform normal activities due to injury, illness, or birth defects. Activity limitations refer to difficulties performing daily tasks, such as walking, climbing stairs, or lifting heavy items. Participation restrictions include problems participating in everyday life situations, such as going out alone or getting dressed. Contextual barriers occur outside the individual and affect his/her ability to participate in society. Examples of contextual barriers include lack of transportation, inaccessible public facilities, and discrimination.

The SMD helps us understand why some people experience greater difficulty finding jobs than others. People with certain impairments, such as visual impairments, hearing impairments, or mobility impairments, are at risk of experiencing greater difficulty finding jobs. Other factors, such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, also play a role in determining whether someone experiences greater difficulty finding jobs.

The SMD provides a framework for understanding the complex interaction among these variables and how they influence each other. Understanding the relationship between these factors allows us to better advocate for those with disabilities. We can use our knowledge of the SMD to develop policies and programs that improve access to employment for people with disabilities.

However, despite being labeled as “disabilities,” chronic illnesses are rarely discussed in terms of social justice issues. Instead, we tend to focus on individualized medical treatments. This approach fails to recognize the ways that society shapes the experience of living with chronic illness.

Wendell believes that we must take into account how societal attitudes toward disabled bodies shape the experiences of those who suffer from chronic illnesses. She wants us to consider whether it might be possible to end ableism and work to address the oppression and marginalization experienced by people with all types of disabilities.

But even though Wendell advocates for social change, she doesn’t want to see the world turned upside down. In fact, she’d rather see a cure for her ME.

Changing attitudes towards disabled people

Medical model of disability

For most people, disability doesn’t just exist; it’s real. And it affects us all. But while we’re aware of disabilities like blindness, deafness, and paralysis, there are many others that go largely unnoticed. These invisible disabilities, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and autism spectrum disorder, can make life difficult, even impossible, for some individuals.

But despite being less visible than visible disabilities, these conditions don’t always receive the same amount of attention as those that affect our eyesight or hearing. Instead, they’re often viewed as personal failings, resulting in stigma and discrimination.

In fact, one of the biggest misconceptions about disability is that it’s caused by “weaknesses” in someone’s body. While this might seem intuitive, it actually stems from the idea that disability is a disease, and diseases are generally thought to be caused by weaknesses in the body.

This view of disability, known as the medical model of disability, has been around since ancient times. For instance, in Greece, Hippocrates believed that illness could be cured by taking away the patient’s excess fluids, and in medieval Europe, physicians used bleeding to treat illnesses.

Today, the medical model continues to influence how we think about disability. We tend to see disability as a defect that must be fixed, and we focus on treating patients’ bodies rather than addressing social barriers that prevent them from participating in everyday activities.

Examples of the social model in action

The social model of disability is one of several models used to understand people with disabilities. This approach understands that there are many factors beyond the individual that contribute to someone being able to live independently. In contrast to the medical model, it focuses on supporting people to live the lives they want to lead and recognising that everyone needs different levels of support to do so.

Here are some examples where the social model of disability has been applied:

• A new housing development built around a train station meant that people could access the station without needing to climb steps.

• People with mobility issues were given priority parking spaces near shops and restaurants.

• Disabled toilets were installed in public buildings such as libraries and museums.

• Wheelchair ramps were added to pavements and roads.

• Transport companies adapted buses and trains to make them accessible.

• New digital technologies enabled people with visual impairment to read text online.

Conclusion

The social model of disability points us toward several ethical considerations for health professionals. First, many impairments or their effects that are presumed to be quite negative may actually be experienced differently by individuals with disabilities, or even not experienceable at all. For example, some people with cerebral palsy report being able to walk without assistance, while others cannot move without assistance. Some people with diabetes find it difficult to eat because of pain or fatigue, while others do not notice symptoms unless they are very severe. Many people with intellectual disabilities live in conditions where they are unable to engage in activities that most of us take for granted, such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, or sleeping. These experiences may be invisible to those whose lives are structured around the assumption that everyone needs help with everything.

Second, we must listen carefully to the testimony of people with disabilities themselves. People with disabilities often speak eloquently about what it is like to live with impairment. But sometimes, they don’t know what it feels like to be disabled. They aren’t always sure whether someone else understands their situation. Sometimes they feel misunderstood or unheard.