Theoretical Models of Disability

Question 1

Medical Model of Disability

Answer 1

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. A person must be diagnosed, cured - if possible - or medically managing symptoms. Heavy emphasis on individual treatment, essentially trying to remove or mask the abnormality as much as possible to fit person into society.

Responsibility of individual and medical professionals.

Question 2

Characteristics of Medical Model

Answer 2

• Different schools
• Different transportation
• Different house designs
• Back entrance to buildings
• Less desirable jobs
• Fewer opportunities
• Lower expectations
• Social workers
• Therapists
• Specialists
• Physicians

Question 3

Strengths of the Medical Model

Answer 3

• Addresses the biological aspects of disability, either by clinical cure or by providing ways to medically manage conditions. The medical component is a critical reality for many.
• Clearly defined criteria to diagnosis & treat conditions helps inform decisions for who receives government assistance.

Question 4

Weaknesses of the Medical Model

Answer 4

1. Treats disability as an individual problem. Seeks cure or medical management of bodily condition.
2. Overlooks issues caused by unwelcome or inaccessible environments or “broader sociopolitical constraints including attitudes, policies, and (lack of) regulations.”
3. People feel excluded, undervalued, and pressure to fit questionable norm.
4. Perception as abnormality or defect contributes to stigma, which has a psychological impact.
5. People that don’t fit clearly-defined definitions may be denied benefits they need.

Question 5

Social Model of Disability

Answer 5

In contrast to the Medical Model, disability is a socially created problem that hinders individuals’ full participation in society. It isn’t an individual attribute but a complex collection of conditions (social attitudes, physical environments, and systemic discrimination) that contribute to the disabling social environment.

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.)

Question 6

Characteristics of Social Model

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

Strengths of the Social Model

Answer 7

• Emphasizes that barriers and challenges experienced by PWD are not inevitable, nor exclusive characteristic of an individual’s “broken” body.
• Societies can improve the world through designs that accommodate a wider variety of bodies and abilities.

Question 8

Weaknesses of the Social Model

Answer 8

• Can downplay the embodied aspects of disability.
• Push for social justice can create political antagonism and adversaries.

Question 9

Biopsychosocial Model of Disability

Answer 9

(George Engel, 1977): Recognizes interaction between 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.

(Holistic approach)

Question 10

Strengths of the Biopsychosocial Model

Answer 10

• Takes into account multiple facets of disability: biological, psychological, and social.
• 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.

Question 11

Weaknesses of the Biopsychosocial Model

Answer 11

• People fear the combination of health aspects and social factors leading to a disability definition only as a result of societal factors, thus downplaying PWD’s medical needs.
• Complex classification, which could lead to difficulties in implementation.

Question 12

Economic Model of Disability

Answer 12

Defines disability by a person’s inability to participate in work and the degree to which impairment affects an individual’s productivity and the economic consequences for the individual, employer, and state.

Consequences: Loss of earnings for and payment for assistance by the individual, lower profit margins for the employer, and state welfare payments.

Question 13

Which disability model is used by policymakers to determine and assess disability benefits?

Answer 13

Economic Model

Question 14

The Economic Model is directly related to which Model of Disability?

Answer 14

Charity/Tragedy Model

Question 15

Strengths of the Economic Model

Answer 15

• Recognizes bodily limitations affect a person’s ability to work.
• May require economic support and/or accommodations.

Question 16

Weaknesses of the Economic Model

Answer 16

Creates a legally defined category, which can be stigmatizing and too narrow.

Question 17

Functional Solutions Model of Disability

Answer 17

Practical approach that identifies the functional impairments (limitations) with the intent to create and promote solutions to overcome them.

**Goal: ** Eliminate or reduce the impact of the body’s functional limitations through technological or methodological innovation.

The work of accessibility professionals can be viewed through the lens of this model.

Question 18

The Functional Solutions Model is directly related to which Model of Disability?

Answer 18

Social Model

Question 19

Strengths of the Functional Solutions Model

Answer 19

The model is results-oriented, seeks to solve real-world challenges, attends to people’s needs,, and is based on providing services.

Question 20

Which models align most clearly with the principles of accessibility and universal design?

Answer 20

• Functional Solutions Model
• Social Model

Question 21

Weaknesses of the Functional Solutions Model

Answer 21

Profit-driven technology entrepreneurs can miss the mark, focusing on innovation instead of creating practical and useful products. Some products benefit the innovators more than the target population, especially if they’re $$$.

Focusing on tech may lead to miscalculations or missed opportunities where social, political, and environmental aspects should be considered to effectively fix an issue.

Question 22

Social Identity or Cultural Affiliation Model of Disability

Answer 22

Deriving one’s personal identity from membership within a group of like-minded individuals.

Group develops a sense of culture and belonging to a community with shared life experiences.

Question 23

In what group is the Social Identity or Cultural Affiliation Model most seen?

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

Strengths of the Social Identity or Cultural Affiliation Model

Answer 24

• Accepting the person’s disability completely is important part of one’s emotional & psychological well-being.
• Uses disability as a source of pride in associating with other people in a similar condition.
• PWD can gain political strength by forming alliances and advocacy networks.

Question 25

Weaknesses of the Social Identity or Cultural Affiliation Model

Answer 25

The sense of belonging felt within a group of people can be counterbalanced by feelings of exclusion for people who don’t fit the group’s expectations.

Question 26

Charity/Tragedy Model of Disability

Answer 26

Treats PWD as victims of unfortunate/tragic circumstance, deserving of “pity,” and in need of outside help (special treatment).

People providing charity are viewed as benevolent (do-gooder) contributors to a needy population.

Question 27

The Charity/Tragedy Model is directly related to which Model of Disability?

Answer 27

• Medical Model, which treats disability as an individual problem, and the
• Economic model, which views disability in terms of the economic consequences to the individual, employer, and state.

Charity Model is used with the Medical Model by non-disabled people to define & explain disability.

Question 28

Strengths of the Charity/Tragedy Model

Answer 28

Can inspire people to contribute their time and/or resources to provide help when it is genuinely needed.

Question 29

Weaknesses of the Charity/Tragedy Model

Answer 29

• Many find this approach condescending or offensive
• May resent feeling like an object of pity, that they must depend on accepting or cultivating pity.
• Pity giving sets up an unequal power balance between givers (“fortunate ones”) and PWD (“unfortunate ones”).
• Focuses on short-term, immediate needs at the expense of more comprehensive and ultimately more effective long-term solutions.

Question 30

What are the 7 (prominent) Models of Disability in the CPACC BoK?

Answer 30

1. Medical model
2. Social model
3. Biopsychosocial model
4. Economic model
5. Functional solutions model
6. Social identity or Cultural Affiliation model
7. Charity model

Question 31

Which Model of Disability is the basis for the International Classification of Functioning (ICF), a publication by the WHO in 2002?

Answer 31

Biopsychosocial Model