Addis Ababa Institute of

Technology

(AAiT)

Models of Disability
Meti Guda
UGR/7880/13
Section 8
Inclusiveness

April 2, 2022.
Abstract.................................................................................................................................................1
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
1. Religious/Moral Model.................................................................................................................2
2. Medical Model................................................................................................................................. 3
Strengths & Weaknesses...........................................................................................................4
The problem with the medical model....................................................................................... 4
3. Social Model.................................................................................................................................... 5
Strengths & Weaknesses...........................................................................................................6
4. Human Rights Based Model......................................................................................................... 7
How does the human rights model differ from the social model?....................................... 7
5. Charity Model.................................................................................................................................. 8
Strength & Weaknesses.............................................................................................................8
6. Legitimacy Model............................................................................................................................ 9
7. The Expert/Professional Model.................................................................................................... 9
8. Eclectic model................................................................................................................................. 9
Pros & Cons ................................................................................................................................9
How do some of these models compare in practice?................................................................. 10
Examples for Medical vs Social Models of Disability.................................................................. 10
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................... 11
References........................................................................................................................................... 1
 Models of Disability

Abstract
Depending on the situation or context, the term “disability” can have a variety of connotations.
Different people have different reactions to the term. Some people define disability as a person’s
disabling condition. Disability may have a legal meaning in some other contexts. Some may
argue that disability is a social construct.
It is important to note that the term “model” refers to a way of thinking or a concept. It is
important to consider how we explain and comprehend disability. In this paper, we look at one
model-based approach to explaining and understanding disability.
The conceptual models of disability are useful not only for defining disability, but also for
providing a foundation for government or society to devise strategies to meet the needs of people
with disabilities.
Disability conceptual models are useful not only for defining disability, but also for providing a
foundation for government or society to devise strategies to meet the needs of people with
disabilities. This paper will discuss some of the most prevalent models of disability and their
basic characteristics.
Introduction
Disability models are tools for defining impairment and, ultimately, providing a foundation for
government and society to develop strategies for meeting the needs of disabled people. They
provide a useful framework for understanding disability issues as well as the perspectives of
those who create and apply the models.
Models of Disability shed light on the former's attitudes, perceptions, and prejudices, as well as
how they affect the latter. Models reveal how our society provides or restricts access to work,
goods, services, economic power, and political power for people with disabilities as a result of
this.
Models are influenced by two fundamental philosophies.
I. The first sees disabled people as dependent upon society. This can result in paternalism,
segregation and discrimination.
II. The second perceives disabled people as customers of what society has to offer. This
leads to choice, empowerment, equality of human rights, and integration.
As society evolves, so do models. Given this level of understanding, our next goal should be to
create and implement a set of models that will empower people with disabilities by providing
them with full and equal rights to their peers. To address the many types of disabilities, several
models of disability definition have been developed. Models of disability serve as a guide for
society as programs, services, laws, regulations, and structures that affect the lives of people with
disabilities are developed.

1. Religious/Moral Model
Language: sin, shame, divine punishment

Disability, according to the Religious Model, is a punishment meted out by an outside force to an
individual or family. It could be the result of transgressions committed by the disabled person, a
family member or a member of a community group, or forefathers. Conditions at birth may be
the result of previous incarnations' actions.
The presence of "evil spirits" is occasionally invoked to explain behavioral differences,
particularly in conditions such as schizophrenia. Exorcisms or sacrifices may be performed to
expel or appease the negative influence, or the "different" individual may face persecution or
even death.
In some cases, the disability stigmatizes a whole family, lowering their status or even leading to
total social exclusion. It is an extreme model, which can exist in any society where deprivation
is linked to ignorance, fear and prejudice.
For ages, the religious paradigm of disability has been utilized to preach to the broader
population good behavior and moral behaviors. The dread of infirmity has been utilized to
discourage the general populace from departing from the dominant moral norms of religion and
society.
The religious paradigm of disability can also be interpreted as a "test of faith." The disabled
person is believed to have been selected by God expressly for them, and that their condition is an
opportunity for them to redeem themselves through their patience, strength, and confidence in
God. In this view, people with impairments are described as "fortunate souls."
Another theory of the religious model of disability relates disability to mysticism or some kind of
metaphysical blessings. According to this perspective, when God gives one impairment, it is
balanced by heightened functioning of other senses thus making the person a spiritually blessed
one.

2. Medical Model
Language: cure, treatment, care, disease

The medical model defines disability as a result of a health condition, disease, or trauma that can
interfere with a person's physiological or cognitive functioning. It is the belief that people with
disabilities require extensive treatment and should be housed in institutions or nursing homes
where doctors and other specialists can "fix" them.
There was no need to make buildings wheelchair accessible or offer sign language interpreters at
crucial meetings because individuals with disabilities were hidden away and didn't have many
opportunities. As an example: People with disabilities are viewed as extremely vulnerable by the
medical model.
The Medical Model identifies a single disabled individual as the root of the problem and
concludes that solutions can only be found by focusing on the individual. A more advanced
version of the model takes into consideration economic issues and understands that a bad
economy will have a detrimental impact on a disabled person's job prospects. Nonetheless, it
attempts to find a solution within the individual by aiding him or her in overcoming personal
handicap in order to cope with a deteriorating labor market.
Functional Model – This model is similar to the medical model in that it conceptualizes disability as an
impairment or deficit. Disability is caused by physical, medical or cognitive deficits. The disability itself limits a
person’s functioning or the ability to perform functional activities.

The medical concept of disability tends to classify people who are able-bodied as being superior
to those who are disabled. According to the philosophy, the only goal of disabled people should
be to achieve as much parity as possible with non-disabled people.

Strengths:
 Emphasizes the biological
 Offers criteria for medical treatment and legal evaluation
 Belief that a compassionate society will invest in health care and services to
support disabilities

Weaknesses:
 Overlooks the influence of design decisions (it's the person's problem, not the envi
ronment's)
 Stigmatizes people as different or second-class citizens
 Can create narrow and exclusive definitions
 Dehumanizing if a person has to prove their disability

The problem with the medical model

The medical model is based on two assumptions that have a dangerous impact on human rights.
I. Firstly, it views people with disability as being incapable of performing tasks within a range
that is thought to be “normal”. This assumption has underpinned historical policies aimed at:
 Housing people with disability in institutions
 Sending children with disability to special schools
 Employing people with disability exclusively in sheltered workshops
II. Second, it maintains that disability can be used to restrict or deny someone's rights, and that
people with disabilities are incapable of making crucial life decisions. This premise has
served as the foundation for previous policies relating to:
 The establishment of mental health and guardianship laws that take an incapacity
approach to disability
 The forced sterilization of women and girls with disability
 3. Social Model
Language: social construct, integration

The Social Model sees disability as a result of environmental, social, and organizational factors.
Barriers that prohibit people with disabilities from fully participating in society. Instead of
focusing on the person's impairments and shortcomings, this paradigm focuses on the hurdles
that persons with disabilities face. In this concept, a person's activities are limited by the
environment rather than the impairment or condition, and barriers are the result of a lack of
social order.
In this context,
 Impairment refers to a medical condition that causes incapacity; while
 Disability is the result of people living with disabilities interacting with barriers in their
physical, mental, communication, and social environments.
It is not the inability to walk that keeps a person from entering a building by themselves but the
stairs that are inaccessible that keeps a wheelchair-user from entering that building.

The social model of disability explains disability as a particular form of ‘social oppression’. This
Model implies that the removal of attitudinal, physical and institutional barriers will improve the
lives of disabled people, giving them the same opportunities as others on an equitable basis.
Taken to its logical conclusion, there would be no disability within a fully developed society.
The strength of this Model lies in its placing the onus upon society and not the individual. At the
same time it focuses on the needs of the individual whereas the Medical Model uses diagnoses to
produce categories of disability, and assumes that people with the same impairment have
identical needs and abilities.
Limitations
a) As the population gets older the numbers of people with impairments will rise and making it
harder for society to adjust.
b) Its concepts can be difficult to understand, particularly by dedicated professionals in the
fields of charities and rehabilitation.
c) Fails to emphasize certain aspects of disability. Black disable people face problems of both racial
and disability discrimination within a system of service provision designed by white able-bodied people
for white disabled people.

This is where the Minority Group model comes in. From a sociopolitical standpoint, this
contends that disability results from society's failure to modify to satisfy the needs and ambitions
of a disadvantaged minority. This gives a completely different perspective on handicap concerns
and echoes the racial equality idea that "racism is a problem of whites that blacks suffer from."
The message of the minority group model is that people with disabilities are strong and know
what they want and need, but often are held back because of discrimination from others. The
minority group model is a new model meant to shatter the message that people with disabilities
are:
 Helpless, hopeless, or evil (the moral model), or that
 People with disabilities want or need to be fixed (the medical model)
The minority group model has also encouraged people with disabilities to branch out from the
parents’ movement and reminded them that their parents may not always know what is best for
them.
It is argued that disability is a phenomenon constructed by society. A person with a certain
impairment is not disabled unless the social construct puts the person in a disadvantaged position.
It is the society that puts limitations and excludes people with impairment from the mainstream
of social activities.

The social model has played an important role in advancing the rights of people with disability
by:
 Helping people with disability to understand the social nature of their condition
 Recognizing that society as a whole is responsible for enabling inclusion
 Paving the way for the introduction of anti-discrimination legislation in Australia and
overseas
 Providing a framework for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
 Recognizing that disability is caused by the way that society is organized, not by the
presence of a particular medical condition or impairment.

Strengths:
 Emphasizes the human right to participate in society
 Removes stigma
 Inspires creative design

Weaknesses:
 Minimizes biological reality of a disability
 Strips disability from a person’s identity
 4. Human Rights Based Model
Language: independence, human rights, social justice, discrimination

Based on basic human rights principles, it recognizes that:

 Disability is a natural part of human diversity that must be respected and supported in all
its forms
 People with disability have the same rights as everyone else in society
 Impairment must not be used as an excuse to deny or restrict people’s right

How does the human rights model differ from the social model?
There are 4 key differences:
a) The human rights model embraces impairment
The human rights model:

o Acknowledges the impact of impairment in the lives of people with disability

o Recognizes impairment as a natural aspect of human diversity that governments
have a responsibility to support
o Establishes the right of people with disability to live independently and be included in
the community
o Acknowledges that the goal of enabling people with disability to live independently
and be included in the community is about far more than simply removing
mainstream barriers.

The social model:

o Is primarily concerned with addressing barriers that are created by mainstream

society
o Makes the assumption that people with disability will be able to access the services
they need once these barriers have been removed
o Does not acknowledge the very real impact of impairment in the lives of people with
disability, such as chronic pain and shorter life expectancy.
o Has a tendency to treat all impairment the same.
b) The human rights model recognizes people with disability as experts in all matters that
affect them
The social model does not necessarily see the views of people with disability as essential while
the human rights model recognizes that:

o People with disability are experts in their own lives

o People with disability are active stakeholders in all matters that affect them.
c) Equality does not mean treating everyone the same
 d) The human rights model places accountability on governments to take action

5. Charity Model
Language; pity, tragedy, victims

The Tragedy/Charity Model depicts disabled people as victims of circumstance, deserving of

pity. This and Medical Model are probably the ones most used by non-disabled people to define
and explain disability.
Critics of the Tragedy/Charity Model criticize it of being belittling and the source of much
discrimination. Because disabled people are viewed as tragic victims, they require care, are
incapable of caring for themselves or managing their own affairs, and rely on charity to survive.
A culture of "care" emerges from tragedy and pity. Although it is highly laudable in many ways,
it is not without risks. Numerous charities exist to support and care for people with a specific
type of disability, thereby medically classifying, segregating, and often institutionalizing many
disabled people, as with the Medical Model. Given the option, many, if not the majority, would
choose community life with adequate support.
The idea of if being recipients of charity lowers the self-esteem of people with disabilities. In the
eyes of “pitying” donors, charitable giving carries with it an expectation of gratitude and a set of
terms imposed upon the beneficiary. The first is patronizing; the second limiting upon the
choices open to disabled people. Also, employers will view disabled people as charitable cases.
Rather than address the real issues of creating a workplace conducive to the employment of
people with disabilities, employers may conclude that making charitable donations meets social
and economic obligations.

Strength:
 Inspires fundraisers, projects, assistance, and intervention for people with disabilities

Weaknesses:
 Fails to recognize the role society plays in restricting access for people with disability
 Condescending or dehumanizing
 Perpetuates the lie that people with disabilities are objects of inspiration (inspirational
porn)
 Relies on the good will of others to fund services for people with disability, rather than
recognizing personal support as a right that government has an obligation to support
 Short-term
 6. Legitimacy Model
Language: Membership, value based, collaboration

The legitimacy model of disability defines disability as a value-based determination of which

explanations for the atypical are legitimate for disability membership. This point of view allows
for a variety of explanations and models to be considered as meaningful and viable.

7. The Expert/Professional Model

Language: treatment, limitation, patient, improvement

The Expert/Professional Model, an extension of the Medical Model, has provided a traditional
response to disability issues. Professionals within its framework follow a process of identifying
the impairment and its limitations (using the Medical Model) and taking the necessary action to
improve the disabled person's position. This has resulted in a system in which an authoritarian,
overbearing service provider prescribes and acts on behalf of a passive client.
This is a relationship between a fixer (the professional) and a fixee (the client), and it clearly
contains an inequality that limits collaboration. Although a professional may be concerned,
imposing solutions can be less than helpful. If the decisions are made by the “expert”, the client
has no choice and is unable to exercise the basic human right of freedom over his or her own
actions. In the extreme, it undermines the client’s dignity by removing the ability to participate in
the simplest, everyday decisions affecting his or her life. E.g. when underwear needs to be
changed or how vegetables are to be cooked.

8. Eclectic model
The eclectic model is a type of model that aims to directly meet the requirements of disabled
people by combining several ways to find the optimum solution for each person. It can be seen as
as a mix of multiple approaches that are adapted to each individual's challenges, goals, and
expectations.
The eclectic model's core concept is to get to know each person with a disability individually
before picking research-based strategies from a variety of models to assist that person grow in a
way that is personally meaningful.

Pros
 It’s flexible to accommodate different needs rather than a one-size-fits all approach to
therapy
 It is useful for multiple and complex issues
 The techniques used are research-based and shown to be effective
 The therapy is adapted to the individual
Cons
 It can feel unpredictable or confusing
 It might seem like it a trial-and-error approach
 There isn’t a clear, obvious, or predictable structure

How do some of these models compare in practice?

Scenario:
A child who uses a wheelchair is unable to attend her local school because most of the buildings
are not wheelchair accessible.
Response
Medical model :- The child with disability is the problem, because she is unable to use the same
buildings the other children can access.
Charitable model :- The child’s needs would best be met through specialized support that cannot
be provided in a mainstream school.
Social model :- The school is the problem, because it has not been designed to be accessible to
all children.
Human rights model :- The child has the right to attend the school of her choice, and
governments must enact legislation, guidelines, and standards to ensure that all school premises
are fully accessible. It also requires governments to provide the child with any additional
assistance she may require in order for her to participate fully and equally in school life.

Examples for Medical vs Social Models of Disability

i. A wheelchair user wishes to enter a building that has a step at the entrance. A ramp
would be added to the entrance under a social model solution, allowing the wheelchair
user to enter the building immediately. According to the medical model, there are very
few solutions to assist wheelchair users in climbing stairs, thereby excluding them from
many essential and recreational activities.
ii. A teenager with a learning difficulty wants to work towards living independently in their
own home but is unsure how to pay the rent. Under the social model, the person would be
supported so that they are enabled to pay rent and live in their own home. Under a
medical model, the young person might be expected to live in a communal home.
iii. A visually impaired child wants to read the most recent best-selling book to discuss with
their sighted peers. There are few options under the medical model, but a social model
 solution ensures that full text audio-recordings are available when the book is initially
released. This means that children with vision impairments can participate in cultural
activities on an equal footing with the rest of the population.

Conclusion
Disability models are essential because they shape attitudes and have an impact on how well
disabled people's needs and preferences are satisfied in design. The medical approach is now
commonly regarded as outdated and a source of discrimination. The social model has had a
significant impact.
There are numerous other models of disability proposed by other sociologists in addition to the
above-mentioned major categories. All of the models were created with the idea of how people
see disability in mind.
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