Theoretical Models of Disability Flashcards
What are theoretical models of disability?
TMD provide perspectives and frameworks through which to
understand disability generally associated with a specific line of thinking, profession, or approach towards disability.
What is the Medical Model?
The Medical Model views disability as an individual’s physical or mental limitations, and does not account for social or geographical environments. It focuses on finding a “cure” to make a person more “normal.”
Strength: works to find solutions to make disabilities more manageable.
Weakness: ignores the sociopolitical aspects of disabilities by trying to fix the problem instead of improving environments and culture.
What is the Social Model?
The social model seeks to change society to accommodate people living with disabilities. It says that people with disabilities have the right to be fully participating citizens on an equal basis with others and accommodations should be made for disabilities instead of people accommodating society.
Strength: can improve lives by ensuring the world accommodates a wide range of human characteristics and abilities.
Weakness: Downplays the reality of disabilities and politically creates tension between the community and politicians who can’t easily prioritize it.
What is the Biopsychosocial Model?
The biopsychosocial model combines what is true in the medical and social models without trying to simplify disability into a single category. This is generally considered the most inclusive model where disabilities that can be cured should while still maintaining the idea that society should accommodate people with various needs.
What is the Economic Model?
The economic model defines disability by a person’s inability to participate in work and make money. It also assesses the degree to which impairment affects an individual’s productivity and the economic consequences for the individual’s earnings, employer inefficiencies, and the state’s offsetting of income through welfare.
Strength: accommodates PWD by assessing their ability to work and determining if economic support is applicable.
Weakness: it’s based on legal definitions, labels PWD, and only offers assistance to those who meet the required labels.
What is the Functional Solutions Model?
The functional solutions model views disability as problem to be solved. It doesn’t address the sociopolitical nuances and looks for innovation in assistive technology to create inclusivity. A11y professionals tend to fall into this category.
Strength: it looks to solve problems without worrying about societal impact.
Weakness: Technical solutions, while well-intentioned, don’t fully address the complexity of each problem. Example: web a11y overlays.
What is the Social Identity or Cultural Affiliation Model?
The social identity or cultural affiliation model creates a community for specific disabilities. People who identify with a particular group (e.g. deaf culture) embrace their disability as part of their identity and culture.
Strength: complete acceptance and creates a sense of pride in disability.
Weakness: leads to the exclusion of people without similar characteristics.
What is the Charity Model?
The charity model is an older and outdated model of disability that treats PWD as objects of misfortune, charity, and pity; burdens requiring benevolent contributions for support.
Strength: inspires contribution of time / resources when genuinely needed.
Weakness: can be condescending and create resentment for PWD because it’s a short-term solution that does nothing to foster inclusivity.
