Social Model vs Medical Model of Disability
The way that we approach working with disabled students is
affected by the way we think about disability. There are two main
models of disability, the social and medical models.
Historically the medical model was the generally accepted way of
thinking about disability.Under the medical model it is the disabled
person who is perceived as the problem and who needs a 'cure' in order to
function in society.
In the 1970s UPIAS (The Union of Physically Impaired Against
Segregation) a group of disabled people formed and created a
new model called the social model. The social model has now
become the acceptable way of thinking about disability. Under
the social model it is society which is at fault. Disabled people have
impairments (medical conditions) but it is barriers in the
environment such as stairs without ramps or lifts; policies and
procedures which don't take into account the needs of disabled people; and other people’s attitudes which actually ‘disable’ people.
The way in which we think about disability, in turn affects the
terminology used. The following two lists demonstrate
comparative phrases that are considered to be medical or social
model.
Medical Model:
1. The disabled
2. Able bodied
3. The blind
4. Deaf & Dumb
5. Spastic
6. Mentally handicapped
7. Confined to a wheelchair/wheelchair bound
Social Model:
1. Disabled People
2. Nondisabled
3. Visually impaired people
4. Deaf person
5. A person who has cerebral palsy
6. Learning difficulties
7. Wheelchair user
With the ‘medical model language’, note that the phrases do not
include the word ‘person’ or ‘people’ and refer to groups by
medical condition alone (as a homogenous group). The word
handicapped has become a particularly
offensive term which disabled people believe to mean ‘beggar’,
Equally, ‘confined to a wheelchair/wheelchair bound’ is inappropriate
as wheelchairs are liberating devices and although some people
may need a lap belt, most do not need to be ‘bound’ to their
wheelchair.
The second list gives some suggestions of alternative ‘social
model’ terms. The term ‘disabled people’ is the phrase that has
been chosen by disabled people. The term ‘people with disabilities’
is still widely used but is in fact medical model terminology.
However it is acceptable to refer to someone as a person with ‘x
condition’. The term nondisabled
[people] should be used instead
of ablebodied
as disabled people can still be ablebodied
(e.g.
people with dyslexia).
For further information, you may be interested in having a look at
some of the web links below which offer more information on
models of disability, terminology and working with disabled people.
MMU Human Resources
Manchester City Council
www.selfdirection.org/
