Introductory Awareness of Models of Disability

1. Introductory Awareness of Models of Disability The Medical Model The Social Model

2. History and Development • Those with a disability, traditionally thought of as being possessed, sinners or being punished for a wrong doing. • The “Age of Enlightenment” in the 18th Century had a scientific understanding into the causes of Impairment. to rehabilitate or cure an Impairment. • Disabled Peoples Movement. “Disabled adults and children have a right to belong and be valued by the community.” The “cure” to the problem of disability lies in changing society. • Mike Oliver 1983 coined the phrase Social Model of Disability. Didn’t intend for the social model to be an all encompassing theory of disability but a starting point in reframing how society views disability. • Society disables physically impaired people”. • “A person has a disability if he/she has a mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day to day activities! (Definition of Disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995)

3. The Social Model of Disability • Individuals with a Disability should be able to take control of their lives and decisions. • Disability creates barriers through Discrimination and Prejudice. • Encourages independence. • No barriers to participation. • Disabled individuals should be listened to. • Views the individual holistically.

4. The Medical Model of Disability • Disability is a problem which belongs to the individual. • Focusses on the lack of physical, sensory or mental functioning. • Leads to a de-humanising view where only the nature and severity of the impairment is important. • Individuals are viewed as helpless and given little or no control over their lives. • Viewed as patronising and discriminatory. • The disability is focussed on rather than the needs of the person. • Defines and categorises disabled people by their impairment. • Results in underdeveloped life skills, poor education, segregation and low self esteem/confidence.

5. Benefits of the social model • It doesn’t blame the individual or turn them into the problem. • It involves everyone in identifying solutions. • It encourages co-operative problem solving. • It removes barriers for others as well as disabled people, that is , it is an equal opportunities model. • It acknowledges disabled peoples rights to full participation as citizens.

6. BARRIERS OF THE SOCIAL MODEL • ENVIRONMENTAL; • Wide doors/corridors. Ramps, lifts, motorised doors. • ECONOMICALLY ; • Society doesn’t provide the same opportunities to people with impairments. This tends to start at school and continues throughout their career. They are twice as likely to have no qualifications. • CULTURAL; • Society lets impaired people down because of prejudiced views and negative shared attitudes of the non-impaired community. Prejudice is associated with “difference”. • Educational lessons tend to be designed for non-impaired people. One person with Dyslexia has a learning disability in a class of non-dyslexic students. If taught in a way that suits people with Dyslexia, they won’t have a disability.

7. Who is Disabled • People who have an impairment. • Deafness. • Blindness. • Deaf/Blindness. • Mental Distress. • Disfigurement. • Learning Difficulties. (Dyslexia. A.D.H.D, Autism). • Physical Impairments.

8. Challenging PrejudiceMedical Model Social Model • Child is Valued. • Strengths and needs defined by self and others. • Identify barriers and develop solutions. • Outcome base programme designed. • Resources are made available to ordinary services. • Training for parents and professionals. • Relationships nurtured. • Diversity welcomed, child is included. • Society evolves. • Child is Faulty. • Diagnosis. • Labelling. • Impairment becomes focus of attention. • Assessment, monitoring, programmes of therapy. • Segregation. • Ordinary needs put on hold. • Society remains un-changed. • Re-entry if normal enough OR permanent exclusion

9. IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION • Individuals with learning differences often considered as thick or in need of special assistance, when really they may just suit traditional learning styles”. • Requirement that educational establishments anticipate the needs of disabled children/students and make reasonable adjustments so that disabled students aren’t placed at a disadvantage or treated less favourably. • Challenge to discrimination should begin in schools. • Inclusion of disabled people in one mainstream system will only make sense if the models of disability are understood.