Defining disability

A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has substantial and long-term negative impacts on a person’s normal daily activities and interactions with the world around them.¹

The medical model of disability takes the stance that disabilities are caused by their impairments and differences, such as a person’s lack of vision. In this viewpoint disabilities should be ‘fixed’ or amended through surgeries, medicine, and other treatments, even if the disability doesn’t cause pain, illness, or reduced lifespan. This model observes the disability and attempts to solve it rather than observing what they need to improve their quality of life. Medical interventions are not extremely available for many disabilities, many are non-existent and ignore the needs of the disabled individual prior to medical intervention if available.

The social model of disability takes the stance that disabilities are caused by societal organisation and the lack of support, rather than their medical impairment. This model looks at removing physical and social barriers that make it hard to live within the world, rather than looking to fix the disability. Many disabilities' ability to be ‘fixed’ has not yet been discovered or has very low availability to the general public, and the social model instead looks at ways to improve the quality of life and ways for people regardless of disability, to be treated fairly within an inclusive society.²

In this paper, I will discuss the social model in more depth and provide the benefits of the social model to society as a whole.

Disability within society

Disabled people frequently have been discriminated against from both a medical, societal, and social standpoint. This has gone from the abhorrent treatment within care homes and hospitals in years past, to public discrimination through lack of access and physical violence and bullying. While it has improved in years it is still not ideal for many individuals.³

This is why disability rights movements are important. Much like other social justice movements, disability rights activism aims to see that disabled individuals have the same opportunities and access that non-disabled people have.

Disability activists seek to have accessibility and safety within architecture, transport, and public spaces; aim to have equal opportunities in independent living and housing, employment, and education; aim to end all barriers in social and professional spaces. They use the social model of disability to remove institutional, physical, and societal barriers that prevent the normal daily living of disabled people.

These activists are present globally, major changes being sought out in several continents for equality through Equality Acts. However, there is much more work needed to be done to achieve what the movement desires.⁴

Societal barriers

Attitudinal barriers

Attitudinal barriers are created by the perception of disabled people by others. Seeing disabled individuals as just their disability perpetuates bullying, fear, discrimination, and even infantilisation and talking down to them. People in line with this kind of thinking often have low expectations of disabled individuals regardless of the fact they are able to be fully capable both in social, physical and professional environments. These behaviours have improved slightly in some countries, but in others with low income, the discrimination from this barrier is intense. The level of attitudinal barriers can contribute to other barriers as it is legislation and affirmative action of people that enact the changes required for equality.⁵

Physical barriers

Physical barriers prevent access to various spaces due to the terrain. This prevents some disabled individuals from entering public and social spaces, limiting their ability to both be equal within society and from partaking in daily activities, and preventing disabled people from living in certain places. These physical barriers create disability by preventing entry and access.⁵

Institutional barriers

Systemic/Institutional barriers are perpetuated by laws, policies and strategies that discriminate against various disabled groups to prevent equality within any given environment. Restrictive laws in countries prevent access to certain institutions prevent proper legal recognition of the disability and discriminate against affirmative action. Without proper legislation, proper change in various aspects cannot be enacted, and the quality of life in these discriminatory spaces is severely decreased. This barrier has been very present within medical care, people with disabilities are often treated unfairly and have a reduced level of care despite often requiring increased care.⁵

Other types of barriers such as social, transportation, etc. are able to fit into the three above, but more information, found here, talks about them in further detail.

Accommodations

The social model stating that disability is caused by society leaves an ideal space to provide improvement. By removing the barriers input by society we can allow for equality of disabled individuals.

One of the first steps is communication. Change can’t happen without knowledge. Informing everyone about the challenges of disability living leads to further change through empathy. This is done through the promotion of accessibility options and the inclusion of disabled people in spaces. One reason for people’s bigotry is a lack of understanding of those who are different. They don’t understand and look down on those who are less advantaged in society. By changing viewpoints and appealing to empathy we can express the need for accommodations specific to the disability and hope to include others.

One of the key aspects of promoting this inclusivity is education. Education of people, young and old, allows for understanding. Once understood, governmental bodies, companies, leaders, communities, and the general public, all can help to push for correct changes that allow these people to experience equity within society, and to stand on equal ground. Education of disabilities should be taught at a company level but also within schools so that from an early age we are able to enact change and remove the attitudinal barrier.⁶

A key and necessary step is to allow changes in physical spaces so that they are accessible. People often think of wheelchair users in these scenarios but don’t always think far enough and even wheelchair ramps can be difficult to access alone. This isn’t even explaining other disabilities that restrict movement such as loss of vision. By making spaces physically accessible to all, alone or together, we can promote inclusivity and assist in daily living, removing the environmental barriers in place.⁷

Another key aspect is workplace accommodation. Many disabled individuals find it extremely difficult to find work as many workplaces are not willing to put in the smallest accommodations for both physical and mental disabilities. This is understandable in a workplace that disabled people may not be able to work, such as a physically impaired individual in construction, but many workplaces don’t put in any kind of accommodation for any kind of disability. This leaves disabled people both out of a paycheck, and reduced ability to perform daily living. Accommodations are often not difficult to implement and should be discussed with the individual and their doctor beforehand. Promoting disabled people within professional environments not only often improves the lives of the person, but also improves bigoted perceptions of disabilities as a whole and show that while there are differences, work is work and everyone should have freedom and the right to work.⁸

Importance of the medical model

The social model of disability is required for normalising disability in society and improving the lives of everyone, and helps disabled people not feel as if they’re at fault for their disability. However, we cannot completely disregard the medical model of disability. The medical model promotes improvements of symptoms and promotes medical marvels that aim to improve the lives of disabled individuals. To disregard the medical model would be to disregard improvements such as hearing aids, engine powered wheelchairs, and more. Scientific and medical advancement is at the forefront of disability improvement.

Disabilities are incredibly difficult to live with, even with all the social changes that would make everyone equal. Medical advancements have helped disabled people to begin to live without the pressures of the social model of disability. This is not available for many disabilities, but we shouldn’t disregard the improvements that are available.

By putting both the medical and social model hand-in-hand we are able to provide the most assistance to disabled individuals. ‘Fixing’ a disability is a personal choice and shouldn’t that option be available in an equal society. Disability comes with struggle and implementing both strategies will lead to the least amount of struggle.^2,4

Conclusions

The social model of disability states that disabilities are caused by the societal environment and that rectifying barriers in a society would remove a disability. This is put in place to help remove obstacles that prevent just and equal treatment of disabled individuals.

Disability activists seek to break down institutional, physical and attitudinal barriers in society, and to input accommodations that make disabled living not only easier, but part of daily life. They aim to do this in place of the medical model to provide the best quality of life in a disabled persons life. Accommodations are unique to the needs of the disabled person but are very achievable and have already been commonly implemented in various aspects of life, but not all and many people struggle a lot.

We must focus on the social model, but not forget the medical model. The medical model provides possibilities into making disabled people’s life easier, with or without the social model. This isn’t a possibility for many but has been for others and we have to acknowledge that it is useful. We cannot forget either model, but either model needs to be implemented differently to make way for change.

The first part of the social model enacting change is knowledge. Providing education and classes on disabled living helps prevent discrimination and ostracisation of disabled people and can lead to improved accommodations.