The UK social model of disability (SSM) originated within a political context, which is both a strength and a weakness. Good social research has been conducted prior to, and outside, the confines of the SSM. The SSM is above all a brilliant tool for mobilising change. But it can be applied over‐zealously. Since the 1990s, various critiques of the SSM have been developed, exposing contradictions and inadequacies. Equally, some of the parallels between disability and other social movements may need to be tested. Identity politics and psychology explain some of the fervour of SSM debates. To move forward, a social theory of embodiment is required.