0715- Disability, chronic illness and their social political contexts-CG

Question 1

• Distinguish disability and impairment

Answer 1

Impairments are problems in body function or structure such as a significant deviation or loss.
A disability is any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being;

Question 2

• Describe strategies used in the media to represent disability

Answer 2

1. Heroic- transcend their disability, become objects of inspiration. However it obliges disabled people to be better (paralympians, spokesman)
2. charity cases- moral obligation for able bodied to help disabled, focus on giver (fund raising)
3. objects of medical rescue- ‘finish it off so it doesn’t suffer’

Question 3

• Outline impacts of different policy approaches on disability

Answer 3

Medical- disability is a medical problem, need to be rescued/treated, resulting in devaluing embodied experience of disabled

Social (disability is social phenomenon) ie disabled people can live happy lives too, self-determination and principles of equivalence. Useful to destigmatise disability esp psychological. E.g. improve access and availability of work/education

Bio psychosocial- based on respect for differences- that bodies suffer in individual ways (embodied experience), recognise fluctuations in patient capacity, and cater to internal/emotional and physical worlds

Question 4

• Critically outline the range of explanations for why poor people are sicker

Answer 4

• ongoing attention to physical health, costly, loss of income, embroiled with health system
• Downward drift, environment caused ill health, lifestyle choices, lack of access to health/services, genetics
• The poor are more likely to have chronic illnesses/severely disabled,therefore their medical care may need to call on a broader range of technical skills.

Question 5

How does HCP help

Answer 5

• Advocacy- centerlink, worker’s comp, education and housing