B4 W2 understanding disability Flashcards
What are the three models of disability?
- medical model
- social model
- interactional or integrated model
What are the common features of the medical model of disability?
- disability is intrinsic to the individual (deficit of the individual)
- restrictions on the person are attributed to physical or cognitive impairmnets
- the interventions/ services are about changing or curing the disabled person
- medical/ HCP role is treatment and is central to care of disabled people
What are the main criticisms of the medical model?
Challenges to medical model came primarily from disabled individuals:
Idea that it is not acceptable as it:
- individualises the issue of disability
- negative and disempowered image (intrinsic defecit)
- personal tragedy (many disabled people see it as empowered position)
- medicine defines and controls disabled people (including access to treatments and right to life).
What are the main features of the social model of disability?
- Disability is extrinsic to the individual:
- social, attitudinal and physical barrers that prevent diabled people from participating in society to the same extent as other people
- less opportunities due to physical barriers and social barriers
- Problem is in the way society is organised
- it is a public issue rather than medical and needs sociopolital responses.
What is the distinction between impairment and disability?
Which model makes this distinction?
- Impairment is the bodily, mental or intellectual limitation/ condition
- Disability is the loss of/ limitation of opportunities to take part in society on an equal basis
- Social model distinguishes between impairment and disability
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the social model?
Advantages:
- disability is not seen as an inevitable consequence of living with an impairment
- emphasis the need to remove physical, attitudinal and social barriers to full social participation
- calls for social and political change rather than individual adaptation.
Disadvantages:
- Can fail to acknowledge the significance of impairments for individuals
What is an impairment?
Are they relevant?
Give an example
- Impairment = any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function.
- Impairments are relevant, but need to be adjusted for
- Example: Achondroplasia results in short limbs
- Disability results from lack of adjustment to environment and social/ attitudinal barriers
- but there can also be some physical features that cause pain and distress e.g. spinal curvature
What is considered that appropriate model for thinking about disability today?
Who adopted these models?
What is the role of this model?
- The interactional model
- Interactional model is an approach adopted by the WHO’s international classification of functioning (ICF)
- and by the united nations convention on the rights of personss with disabilities
- Role : enable disabled people to lead ordinary lives and to participate in society to same extent as non disabled people.
Describe the international classification of functioning
- replaces old model by WHO
- international classification of functioning:
- addresses difference of emphasis implicit in medical and social models of disability
- establishes a common language for describing health and health related states to improve communication between users
- provides international coding system to classify and code different levels of functioning
What are two acts/ conventions that promote human rights and equality for people with disability?
- UN conventions on Rights of persons with disabilities (UNCRPD)
- Nationally UK equalities act (2010)
Why is a human rights approach important in disability?
Outline the main points established by the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
- All humans, regardless of race/ gender/ ability etc have the same inherent rights
- In theory, there should be no need for a separate human rights approach to disability, but having one ensures that the human rights of people with disabilities are protected.
- Disabled people experience social, economic and health inequality; as a group they have lower levels of participation in all aspects of life.
- UNCRPD:
- establishes disabled people are not “other” -> have same rights as others
- establishes universal standard/ benchmark to be applied
- if a disabled persons experience falls short of this standard it is understood as a human rights violation
What does the UK equality act require?
- UK equality act requires equal treatment in access to:
- employment
- private and public services
- Regardless of protected characteristics of:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage or civil parternship
- race
- religion
- beliefs
- sex
- sexual orientation
What is covered under the Equality act 2010?
- health and social care services are covered by the laws under the equality act:
- NHS services and commisioners
- Elderly/ disabled/ residential/ child care
What is the UK equality act definition of disability?
- If a person is disabled if he/she has a physical or mental impairment and that impairment has a substantial long term adverse effect on his/ her ability to carry out normal day to day activities
Give some examples of some areas of inequality experienced by disabled people
Working life:
- disabled people significantly less likely to be in employment (30% less)
- more likely to experience discrimination at work (4% more likely)
Financial:
- more likely to experience poverty than other people
Education:
- 3 x more liekly to have no qualifications than non disabled
Health:
- more likely to exp poor health outcomes e.g. learning disabilities
- access to health services can be a challenge
Psychological:
- often feel no control/ choice over daily life
- difficulties accessing goods and services
