disable people

Disability is usually defined as “a loss or restriction of functional ability or activity as a result of body or mind”. (Oxford English Dictionary) As a result of a definition like this disability is seen as a problem.

   It has been widely accepted that disabled people generally have fewer opportunities and a lower quality of life than non-disabled people. Any action taken to remove the disadvantage suffered by disabled people depends on what is believed to be the cause.
There are two main ideas of what causes the disadvantage namely: 
  • the medical (or individual) model of disability, 
  • the social model of disability.

   The medical model sees the inability of disabled people to join in society as a direct result of the impairment and not the result of the features of our society which can be changed. When individuals such as managers think in this way they concentrate on ‘compensating’ them for what is ‘wrong’ with their bodies.

   According to this model the role of the professional is to assess the individual and help them function as near normal as is possible for them, to help them adapt psychologically and physically, to help them by treatment and rehabilitation to achieve the level of physical and intellectual functioning they are capable of. It also sees the professional as the expert. This model also controversially agrees with screening and termination of pregnancy to prevent a disabled child being born. 
The social model of disability makes the crucial distinction between ‘impairment’ and ‘disability’.

   The social model sees disability as a result of the social and physical environment which creates unequal outcomes for people with impairments compared to able bodied people. The negative attitudes of professionals towards disabled people has led to discrimination and internalised oppression. 
The social model has been developed by disabled people who feel that the individual model does not provide an adequate explanation for their exclusion from mainstream society. Within the social model the key definitions are:
Impairment – an injury, illness or congenital condition that causes or is likely to cause a long term effect on physical appearance and/or limitation of function within the individual that differs from the common place.

Disability – the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in society on an equal level with others due to social and environmental barriers.
The medical model of disability encourages explanations in terms of the features of the body’s limitations whereas, the social model encourages explanations in terms of the characteristics of society.

   There are two unintended consequences that as a result of using the medical model of disability. Firstly the medical model says that the person’s disability effects their day-to-day activities but it doesn’t take into account how social factors effect their daily routine i.e. ability to walk has an impact and is recognised by this model but so does inaccessible transport which is not recognised by this model. Secondly the medical model appears to state that it is ‘normal’ to see, speak and hear but by omitting activities such as British Sign Language and Braille it theoretically labels them as ‘abnormal’.