Medical Model & Social Model
Over the past few decades, the special group of people with disabilities has been increasingly understood, and as a result, many models of disability have been defined. The two most mentioned models today are the medical model of disability and the social model. As people's perceptions and acceptance of disability change, so does society's emphasis on different disability model. However, each model of disability has its advantages and disadvantages and values to be focused.
(Morrison, 2016)
Medical Model of Disability
The Medical Model of Disability has been the exclusive framework for disability from the beginning of the 20th Century (Shyman, 2016). This model sees disability as a medical condition that affects an individual’s quality of life (Heery & Noon, 2017), therefore medical intervention is the first appropriate response (Grey et al., 2016). The disability is due to something within the person, and therefore treatment should come from an external source. This can be in the form of finding a way to cure the disability, or providing rehabilitation to make life less difficult for the person (Shyman, 2016). Grey, Lyndon & Healy (2016) owe the rise of rehabilitative medicine to this model, proving that intervention can be beneficial and appropriate to those that need it. Techniques such as physical therapy can help children with cerebral palsy participate in activities they might otherwise have difficulty with (Grey et al., 2016), while prosthetics and prescription drugs can be of use to others. (Heery & Noon, 2017). The focus on the disability of the body and mind can make the model seem objective and therefore unbiased (Kattari et al, 2017), though this is untrue.
The medical model of disability is not considered to be ideal. Since the medical model focuses so heavily on the person with the disability needed to be fixed or cured, the model allows itself to fall into the dichotomy of whether a person is disabled or not. This can bring into question what types of people are considered normal in society. Since a person who is disabled needs to be fixed or cured of their disability, it allows for the thought that people who are disabled aren’t normal (Grey et al, 2016), which can feed into stereotyping and stigmatization of those people (Grey et al, 2016). This idea of normalcy can also allow ableism to form. Ableism is the belief that a certain body type is typical of the species and that this body is perfect and fully human (Kattari et al, 2017). The medical model additionally fails to recognize the many other factors that impact people with disabilities and how they interact with their environment (Kattari et al, 2017).
(Clearing a path for people with special needs clears the path for everyone, 2016)
Social Model of Disability
The Social Model of Disability began in the U.K. in 1975, when the Disability Alliance and the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation held a conversation. They discussed the systemic oppression of people who are disabled or fall outside of what is considered “normal” in terms of ability. (Grey et al., 2016; Kattari et al, 2017). This conversation began to change the definition of what it means to be disabled.
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The word Impairment is used to describe the lack of limb function or mechanism of the body, and is different from a disability (Grey et al., 2016). It is considered to be private to the person (Hughs, 2010).
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Disability is described as “a disadvantage resulting in restriction or oppression of people with impairments caused by physical or institutional barriers to result in social exclusion or stigma” (Grey et al., 2016). It is considered something that is dealt with in public (Hughs, 2010)
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Impairments become disablement when barriers are forced onto a person without any consideration of the impairment (Grey et al.; 2016)
The Social Model of Disability then seeks to adjust these barriers to make life more accessible for people with disabilities (Grey et al., 2016; Heery & Noon, 2017; Hughs, 2010; Kattari et al., 2017). This can be done by providing ramps or lifts to public places and ensuring that information is provided in a variety of formats (such as Braille, Easy Read, large print, or using pictures). (Hughs, 2010). Ableism is fought by breaking these barriers because people of all kinds are able to participate freely in society and are taken into account in design and planning, rather than focusing on one specific ideal body type.
The social model is praised by disability activists (Grey et al, 2016; Heery & Noon, 2017), however, there have been critiques from professional groups such as therapists in regard to their ability to do their job of intervention (Grey et al.; 2016). The response to this is that interventions that alter the impairment of people with disabilities do not follow the model. Interventions should, therefore, aid in the removal of limitations from the environment (Gret et al.; 2016). Hughs (2010) recommends that professionals focus more on the outcomes of attitudinal or environmental barriers rather than focusing on pain or mobility issues.
It is the responsibility of all members of society to dismantle the barriers of disability and to become a society that includes all people.
(Difference between Medical model and Social Model of disability, n.d.)
Medical Model vs. Social Model
For a long time period, people with disabilities have been at a disadvantage in society. They are constrained by circumstances and the subjective imagination of those around them. After decades of data collection and analysis, people continue to refresh their perceptions of disability and continue to provide them with all kinds of help. During this period, the most frequently debated are two opposing models - the medical model of disability and the social model of disability. Here's the difference:
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The medical model believes that disability is a problem caused by personal injury and disability, while the social model believes that disability is a difficulty and problem caused by the joint action of individuals and society (Zajadacz, 2015; Trussler & Robinson, 2015).
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In the medical model, disability is thought to result from an accidental loss of control over parts of the body during development and growth (Zajadacz, 2015). Therefore, it limits their ability and scope of daily activities (Heery & Noon, 2017).
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In the social model, the mismatch between the needs of the disabled and what society has to offer makes a difference, so they cannot participate well in the normal activities of the society.
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In the medical model, the disabled are generally regarded as a kind of defect and abnormality, while in the social model, they are generally regarded as a normal difference between people (Gill, 2006).
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Because the social model assumes that disability is just part of who you are as much as any other basic information, this makes disability look negative in the medical model and neutral in the social model (Gill, 2006).
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The medical model suggests medical treatment to make the disabled look less disabled or similar with normal people (Trussler & Robinson, 2015; Shyman, 2016), while the social model tries to integrate the disabled into the normal activities of the society by changing the facilities attitudes to disabled people (Zajadacz, 2015; Gill, 2006).
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The medical model makes life less difficult for people with disabilities by providing physical therapy or rehabilitation (Shyman, 2016).
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The social model reduces social constraints by providing accessibility, such as building slopes where stairs are needed
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The medical model suggests that disability requires professional help to solve the problem, while the social model suggests that solutions to disability can be found in people with disabilities and those around them (Gill, 2006).
(MHE SME, 2019)
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