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MODELS
of DISABILITY |
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OVERVIEW
Models
of Disability - an Overview
The four main models of disability are:
Social
The social model primarily sees a disability as the result of
limitations
imposed upon the individual by social and physical barriers, which
prevent full involvement in the life of the individual’s
society. It believes that society is organised to suit the needs
of the fittest and that this is unfair. It is not the duty of
disabled people to adapt and conform (normalisation), but society’s
responsibility to adapt to meet their needs.
Disability
is not seen as something invoking pity or in need of a cure. Equality
for disabled people is seen in the same light as equality for
other under-represented groups.
Medical
This is a long-established model that sees disabled people as
‘ill’ or ‘sick’ and not as people but
patients. Under this model disabled people are expected to be
‘cured’ or ‘made better’. Medical professionals
are perceived to be the ‘disability’ experts, diagnosing
and dispensing treatment and generalising on the ‘limitation(s)’
of disability. Over concentration on medical conditions stresses
weakness / dependency and effectively ‘blames’ the
disabled individual for their failure to participate in society
- attributing no blame to society.
Charity/Tragic
This model portrays disabled people as being worthy of pity. They
are ‘brave’ and/or ‘plucky’ who ‘despite
their disability’ still manage to be
happy and achieve goals (however limited). A disability is viewed
as a personal disaster. Control and power rests with well meaning
nondisabled people who endeavour to bring about change for the
benefit of the ‘afflicted’. The language used is similar
to that used in the medical model - people are ‘crippled’
with polio, ‘afflicted’ with arthritis, ‘suffer’
from a stroke. Disabled people are expected to be humble and grateful
for what they receive.
W.H.O. (World Health Organisation)
This model was created in 1980 and attempts to synthesise the
Medical and Social models. It sees disability as the result of
a functional impairment (any loss or abnormality of psychological,
physiological or anatomical structure or function), producing
a handicap if a person is socially disadvantaged as a result.
Frequently
Asked Questions
-
How have approaches to disability changed in recent times?
- How
should we portray disabled people in our marketing materials?
- Is
there a particular model or approach towards disabled students
that we should be adopting?
- What
are the correct terms to use when talking about disabled people?
- How
is disability defined?
- How
many people are disabled in the general population?
- How
many students in higher education are disabled?
- What
support is available for disabled students?
- Do
I have to change the way I teach in order to support disabled
students?
- Is
there any money available in my university to help me to support
disabled students?
Fact
Sheets/Guides - Disability Awareness
“Models
of Disability are tools for defining impairment and, ultimately,
for providing a basis upon which government and society can devise
strategies for meeting the needs of disabled people.”
Keys
to perspectives
Applications and Interpretations
• The Medical Model
• The Expert/Professional Model
• The Tragedy/Charity Model
• The Social Model
• The Social Adapted Model
• The Economic Model
• The Customer/Empowering Model
• The Religious Model
Challenging
traditional models of disability
Medical Model vs. Interactional Model
Historically,
people with disabilities have been treated as different from mainstream
society. As a result, people with disabilities were encouraged
to "fix" their differences through medical interventions.
Researchers Harlan Hahn and Carol Gill call this the medical model.
Under
the interactional model, disability is viewed not as a deficiency
but as a kind of difference. The interactional model promotes
the idea that individuals would not need to be "fixed"
if society were physically and programmatically accessible.
MODELS
of DISABILITY
RESOURCES
|
The
Review of Disability Studies – An International Journal
Disability
Studies Quarterly
Society
for Disability Studies
Disability
Services
This section presents an overview of common disability types,
including descriptive information, strategies for students, and
suggested resources.
- Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
-
Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and Deaf / Blind
-
Learning Disabilities
-
Mobility Impairments
-
Psychiatric Disabilities
-
Systemic Disabilities
-
Traumatic Brain Injuries
-
Visual Impairments
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