Disability Flashcards
Why is it important for Drs to understand disability? (Ie relevance to us)
How we think about disabled people is likely to influence how we treat them and services we provide
Important to see disability as resulting from complex interactions between impairments and the social/cultural contexts
Helping people manage impairments and conditions is important
Clinical management should aim to increase participation on disabled people in ways that disabled people want (person-centred approach)
Important to recognise environmental, social and attitudinal barriers that disabled people may face in the community
Drs have to operate within the context of international legislation (Equality Act and Human Rights)
What’s the UK Equality Act definition of Disability?
A person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities
What are the 3 models of disability and key differences?
Medical model - problem is the disabled person
Social model - problem is the disabling world
Interaction model - considered the best as encompasses the complications of each model
Outline the medical model of disability
Disability is intrinsic to the individual, who is restricted by their physical/cognitive impairments
Medical role is to treat the medical impairments
Individualised the issue of disability, disempowered image, ‘personal tragedy’, medicine defines and controls disabled people
Outline the social model of disability?
Disability is extrinsic to the individual - social, attitudinal and physical barriers prevent disabled people from participating in society to the same extent as non-disabled people
Problem is the way society is organised - sociopolitical response needed
Good as it makes the distinction between impairment and disability, disability isn’t seen as an inevitable consequence of living with impairment, emphasises the need to remove barriers
BUT is can fail to acknowledge the significance of impairments for individuals
What model of disability does the WHO International Classification of Functioning and UNCRPD adopt?
Interactional model
Outline the WHO International Classification of Functioning
Replaces WHO International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps
Aims to address difficulties with the previous classification:
Addresses difference of emphasis implicit in the medical and social models of disability
Establishes common language for describing health and health-related states to improve communication
Provides an international coding system for classifying coding and functioning
What tools promote human rights and equality for disabled people?
UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities - provides universal standard, if a disabled persons experiences fall short of universal standard its a human rights violation, establishes that disabled people are not ‘other’ so have the same rights
UK Equality Act 2010
What does the UK Equality Act aim to achieve with regards to disability?
Requires equal treatment in access to employment, private and public services, regardless of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation
Health and social care services covered by laws under the act
Why is human rights and equality legislation for disabled people needed?
Disabled people experience social, economic and health inequality
As a group they have lower levels of participation in all aspects of life
Briefly outline the epidemiology and inequalities of disabled people in the UK
Over 13.9 million disabled
45% over state pension age
8% are children/young adults
19% of people of working age adults
Significantly less likely to be in employment
But when employed more likely to experience discrimination in the workplace
More likely to experience poverty
3x more likely to have no qualifications
Over 1/4 of disabled people say they feel they have no control over their life
1/3 report difficulties accessing goods and services
More likely to experience poor health outcomes
Accessing health services can be challenging
What’s the Accessible Information Standard?
All organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care are legally required to follow it
Aims to make sure those with a disability, impairment or sensory loss are provided with info so they can easily read/understand and with support so they can communication effectively with health and social care
Outline reasons for adopting a human rights approach to disability
Establishes that disabled people are not ‘other’, they have the same rights as others
Human rights legislation provides a universal benchmark
If a disabled persons rights fall short of universal standard, it is considered a violation of human rights
