Theoretical Models of Disability (1.A 40%) Flashcards
Provide perspectives and frameworks to understand disability. None are comprehensive, so they can be neither fully correct nor incorrect. Each has strengths and limitations. (31 cards)
Medical Model of Disability
Disability is an individual problem of the person, directly caused by disease, trauma, or health condition, requiring medical care (treatment by professionals).
Management: Focus: Medical care - Person must be diagnosed, cured - if possible - or managed.
Heavy emphasis on individual treatment, essentially trying to remove or mask the abnormality as much as possible to fit person into society.
(Responsibility of individuals and medical professionals.)
Examples:
* A deaf child is given cochlear implants.
* A person with low vision is prescribed glasses.
Characteristics of Medical Model
- Different schools
- Different transportation
- Different house designs
- Back entrance to buildings
- Less desirable jobs
- Fewer opportunities
- Lower expectations
- Social workers
- Therapists
- Specialists
- Physicians
Strengths of the Medical Model
- The medical component is a critical reality for many people.
- Addresses the biological sources of disability, either by curing or medically managing them.
- Extra: Clearly defined criteria to diagnose & treat conditions help inform decisions for who receives government assistance.
Weaknesses of the Medical Model
- Treats disability as an individual problem and seeks cure or medical management.
- Overlooks issues caused by unwelcome or inaccessible environments or “broader sociopolitical constraints including attitudes, policies, and (lack of) regulations.”
- People feel excluded, undervalued, and pressure to fit a questionable norm, and/or treated as if they were globally incapacitated. (from US NIH)
- Perception as abnormality or defect contributes to stigma, which has a psychological impact.
- People that don’t fit clearly-defined definitions may be denied benefits they need.
Social Model of Disability
Equal Access. Disability is society’s, not an individual’s, problem. Society is responsible for creating disability since it creates barriers, so it’s society’s responsibility to remove those barriers.
Management: Social action. Collective responsibility of society to improve the social environment for the full participation of PWD in all areas of social life. (Equal access is a human rights issue.)
Examples:
* A person using a wheelchair can access all building floors because it was designed accessibly, with ramps outside and elevators inside.
* A student with dyslexia can use the audio version of a book instead of having to read it.
Characteristics of Social Model
- Integrated schools
- Accessible transportation
- Accessible houses
- Equal access to buildings
- Choice of jobs
- Opportunities for all
- Higher Expectations
- Public planners
- Product designers
- Architects
- Web designers
Strengths of the Social Model
- Emphasizes people with disabilities have a right to participate in society.
- Focus on the disabling conditions in the environment and society make it clear that the barriers and challenges people with disabilities experience are not inevitable.
- Societies can improve the world through designs that accommodate a wider variety of bodies and abilities.
Weaknesses of the Social Model
- Can downplay the biological reality of disability.
- Push for social justice in politics can also put activists at odds with people with other political interests.
Biopsychosocial Model of Disability
(George Engel, 1977): Recognizes interaction between physical (biological), psychological (thoughts, emotions, fear, beliefs, coping methods), and social (economic and environmental factors like work issues, family circumstances, benefits/economics) factors to determine disability.
Example: In a Zoom session, the host outlines how people can participate, including making themselves visible or not. This recognizes people have legitimate reasons, including psychological, for participating as they prefer.
(Holistic approach)
Strengths of the Biopsychosocial Model
- Promotes confidence, helping people with disabilities gain control of their lives.
- Promotes social support, leading to better well-being for society overall.
(Good for rehabilitation situations. Team integrates participation-based approach w/ health and social care professionals to develop a support intervention that accounts for one’s medical and social situation.)
Weaknesses of the Biopsychosocial Model
- Complex classification, which can cause confusion about which aspects of someone’s experience are due to which factors. (Implementation is difficult.)
Economic Model of Disability
Defines disability by a person’s ability or inability to work and how much their impairment affects their productivity. It considers financial consequences for the individual, employer, and state.
Consequences: Loss of earnings, costs for assistance, lower profits for their employer, and state welfare payments.
Examples:
* A person with cognitive disability is paid less than std minimum wage.
* A family qualifies for welfare payments since the parent stays home to take care of their disabled child.
Which disability model is used by policymakers to determine and assess disability benefits?
Economic Model
The Economic Model is directly related to which Model of Disability?
Charity/Tragedy Model
Strengths of the Economic Model
- Recognizes bodily limitations affect a person’s ability to work.
- May require financial support and/or accommodations.
Weaknesses of the Economic Model
If a person doesn’t meet the legal threshold for disability, or if there’s a dispute about their disability, they may not receive the support they need.
(Definition can be too narrow.)
Functional Solutions Model of Disability
Practical solutions for individual people.
Goal: Overcome functional limitations using assistive technology (AT) or adaptive strategies.
Most accessibility professionals work within this model.
Examples:
* A blind person uses a screen reader to access their computer.
* A person with carpal tunnel syndrome uses a split keyboard to reduce pain.
* A person with a spinal cord injury uses a wheelchair to go.
The Functional Solutions Model is directly related to which Model of Disability?
Social Model
Strengths of the Functional Solutions Model
The model is results-oriented, seeks to solve real-world challenges, attends to people’s needs,, and is based on providing services.
Which models align most clearly with the principles of accessibility and universal design?
- Functional Solutions Model
- Social Model
Weaknesses of the Functional Solutions Model
- Its focus on solutions for individual people limits its use for addressing larger issues.
(Profit-driven technology entrepreneurs can miss the mark, focusing on innovation instead of creating practical and useful products.) - It can miss opportunities to address environmental or social barriers.
Social Identity / Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability
Recognizes that disability may be fundamental to a person’s identity.
Example: Members of the Deaf community consider themselves part of a culture that includes its own language and customs. (An uppercase D in Deaf is used to refer to this community or members.)
In what group is the Social Identity or Cultural Affiliation Model most seen?
Most evident among people who are deaf.
Deaf culture and identity owe much of its strengths to the somewhat exclusive nature of being a close-knit linguistic minority.
Strengths of the Social Identity / Cultural Affiliation Model
- Disability is accepted and can be a point of pride. It can be highly affirming for group members.
- Groups can exert political power and act as change advocates.
- Group develops a sense of culture and belonging to a community with shared life experiences.
