social model of disability social model of disability the social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social exclusion (intentional or inadvertent), which make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attain their valued functionings. the social model of disability diverges from the dominant medical model of disability, which is a functional analysis of the body as a machine to be fixed in order to conform with normative values. while physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychological variations may result in individual functional differences, these do not necessarily have to lead to disability unless society fails to take account of and include people intentionally with respect to their individual needs. the origin of the approach can be traced to the 1960s, and the specific term emerged from the united kingdom in the 1980s. disability theory and models disability theory ableism / disablism medical model social model education mainstreaming individualized education program (iep) special needs special school special education learning disability therapy physical occupational speech societal implications disability rights movement inclusion normalization people-first language pejorative terms sexuality and disability personal assistance unlicensed assistive personnel (adls) orthotics and braces prosthetics assistive technology assisted living mobility aid physical accessibility universal design web accessibility socioeconomic assistance social security disability insurance supplemental security income ticket to work disability living allowance disabled students allowance disabled persons railcard freedom pass assured income forthe severely handicapped groupsorganizations national telecommuting institute society for disability studies disabled peoples' international (dpi) visitability wethe15 parasports special olympics paralympic games deaflympics invictus games culture disability in the arts disability art disability in the media disabilitylists part of a series ondiscrimination forms institutional structural attributes age disability genetics hair color hair texture height looks size language race / ethnicity nordicism skin color rank caste class religion sex sexual orientation social acephobia arophobia adultism anti-albinism anti-autism anti-drug addicts anti-homelessness anti-intellectualism anti-intersex anti-left handedness anti-masonry aporophobia audism biphobia cronyism elitism ephebiphobia fatphobia gayphobia gerontophobia heterosexism hiv/aids stigma homophobia leprosy stigma lesbophobia misandry misogyny nepotism pedophobia perpetual foreigner pregnancy sectarianism supremacism black white transphobia non-binary transmisogyny trans men vegaphobia xenophobia religious ahmadiyya atheism baháʼí faith buddhism catholicism christianity post–cold war era druze falun gong hinduism persecution untouchability islam persecution jehovah's witnesses judaism persecution lds or mormon neopaganism non-muslims eastern orthodox oriental orthodox copts protestantism rastafari sikhs shi'ism sufism sunnism zoroastrianism ethnic/national african afghan albanian american arab armenian australian austrian azerbaijani bosnian brazilian british canadian catalan chechen chilean chinese croat english filipino finnish french fulani georgian german greek haitian hazara hispanic hungarian igbo indian canadian and us indigenous peoples indonesian iranian irish israeli italian japanese jewish khmer korean kurdish malay mexican middle eastern mongolian montenegrin muhajirs pakistani palestinian pashtun polish quebec romani romanian russian scottish serb slavic somali tatar thai tibetan turkish ukrainian uyghur venezuelan vietnamese manifestations blood libel bullying online lgbt compulsory sterilization corrective rape counter-jihad cultural genocide defamation democide disability hate crime dog-whistle politics eliminationism economic education employment ethnic cleansing ethnic conflict ethnic hatred ethnic joke ethnocide forced conversion freak show gay bashing gendercide genital modification and mutilation genocide examples glass ceiling hate crime lgbt hate group hate speech online homeless dumping housing indian rolling infantilization language minoritization lavender scare lynching mortgage murder music native american mascots occupational segregation opposition to immigration persecution pogrom purge red scare religious persecution religious terrorism religious violence religious war scapegoating segregation academy sex-selective abortion slavery slut-shaming violence against transgender people victimisation violence against men violence against women white flight white genocide conspiracy theory white power music wife selling witch-hunt policies age of candidacy babel proclamation blood purity blood quantum citizen, speak turkish! crime of apartheid dialect card disabilities catholic jewish environmental racism ethnocracy ethnopluralism gender pay gap gerontocracy gerrymandering ghetto benches internment jewish quota jim crow laws ketuanan melayu article 153 kinder der landstrasse law for protection of the nation mccarthyism msm blood donation restrictions nonpersons numerus clausus (as religious or racial quota) nuremberg laws one-drop rule racial quota racial steering redlining same-sex marriage (laws and issues prohibiting) segregation age racial religious sexual sodomy law state atheism state religion symbole ugly law vergonha voter suppression welsh not white australia policy countermeasures affirmative action anti-discrimination law cultural assimilation cultural pluralism diversity training empowerment environmental justice feminism fighting discrimination hate speech laws by country human rights intersex rights lgbt rights masculism multiculturalism nonviolence racial integration reappropriation self-determination social integration toleration related topics bias dehumanization go back to where you came from oppression internalized power distance prejudice reverse discrimination social exclusion social stigma stereotype threat civil liberties diversity intersectionality multiculturalism polyculturalism political correctness white privilege racial bias in criminal news (us) racism by country reverse racism the talk (us) woke (us) amatonormativity gender roles heteronormativity male privilege masculism second-generation gender bias medical model of disability autism neurodiversity social model of disability allophilia ethnic penalty oikophobia christian privilege religious intolerance eugenics net bias snobbery speciesism police brutality prisoner abuse the social model of disability seeks to redefine disability to refer to the restrictions caused by society when it does not give equitable social and structural support according to disabled peoples' structural needs. as a simple example, if a person is unable to climb stairs, the medical model focuses on making the individual physically able to climb stairs. the social model tries to make stair-climbing unnecessary, such as by making society adapt to their needs, and assist them by replacing the stairs with a wheelchair-accessible ramp. according to the social model, the person remains disabled with respect to climbing stairs, but the disability is negligible and no longer disabling in that scenario, because the person can get to the same locations without climbing any stairs. history disability rights movement there is a hint from before the 1970s that the interaction between disability and society was beginning to be considered. british politician and disability rights campaigner alf morris wrote in 1969 (emphasis added):when the title of my bill was announced, i was frequently asked what kind of improvements for the chronically sick and disabled i had in mind. it always seemed best to begin with the problems of access. i explained that i wanted to remove the severe and gratuitous social handicaps inflicted on disabled people, and often on their families and friends, not just by their exclusion from town and county halls, art galleries, libraries and many of the universities, but even from pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and other places of entertainment ... i explained that i and my friends were concerned to stop society from treating disabled people as if they were a separate species.the history of the social model of disability begins with the history of the disability rights movement. around 1970, various groups in north america, including sociologists, disabled people, and disability-focused political groups, began to pull away from the accepted medical lens of viewing disability. instead, they began to discuss things like oppression, civil rights, and accessibility. this change in discourse resulted in conceptualizations of disability that was rooted in social constructs. in 1975, the uk organization union of the physically impaired against segregation (upias) claimed: "in our view it is society which disables physically impaired people. disability is something imposed on top of our impairments by the way we are unnecessarily isolated and excluded from full participation in society." this became known as the social interpretation, or social definition, of disability. mike oliver in 1983, the disabled academic mike oliver coined the phrase social model of disability in reference to these ideological developments. oliver focused on the idea of an individual model versus a social model. oliver's seminal 1990 book the politics of disablement is widely cited as a major moment in the adoption of this model. the book included just three pages about the social model of disability. developments the "social model" was extended and developed by academics and activists in australia, the uk, the us, and other countries to include all disabled people, including those who have learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, or emotional, mental health or behavioural problems. tool for cultural analysis the social model has become a key tool in the analysis of the cultural representation of disability; from literature, to radio, to charity-imagery to cinema. the social model has become the key conceptual analysis in challenging, for examples, stereotypes and archetypes of disabled people by revealing how conventional imagery reinforces the oppression of disabled people. key theorists include paul darke (cinema), lois keith (literature), leonard davis (deaf culture), jenny sealey (theatre) and mary-pat o'malley (radio). components and usage a fundamental aspect of the social model concerns equality. the struggle for equality is often compared to the struggles of other socially marginalized groups. equal rights are said to empower people with the "ability" to make decisions and the opportunity to live life to the fullest. a related phrase often used by disability rights activists, as with other social activism, is "nothing about us without us". the social model of disability focuses on changes required in society. these might be in terms of: attitudes, for example a more positive attitude towards certain mental traits or behaviors, or not underestimating the potential quality of life of disabled people, social support, for example help dealing with barriers; resources, aids, or positive discrimination to provide equal access, for example providing someone to explain work culture for an autistic employee, information, for example using suitable formats (e.g. braille) or levels (e.g. simplicity of language) or coverage (e.g. explaining issues others may take for granted), physical structures, for example buildings with sloped access and elevators, or flexible work hours for people with circadian rhythm sleep disorders. limitations oliver did not intend the social model of disability to be an all-encompassing theory of disability, but rather a starting point in reframing how society views disability. this model was conceived of as a tool that could be used to improve the lives of disabled people, rather than a complete explanation for every experience and circumstance. it has been criticized for underplaying the role of disabilities. it has also been criticized for not promoting the normal differences between disabled people, who can be any age, gender, race, and sexual orientation, and instead presenting them as a monolithic, insufficiently individuated group of people. as an identity in the late 20th century and early 21st century, the social model of disability became a dominant identity for disabled people in the uk. the social model of disability implies that attempts to change, "fix", or "cure" individuals, especially when used against the wishes of the individual, can be discriminatory and prejudiced. this attitude, which may be seen as stemming from a medical model and a subjective value system, can harm the self-esteem and social inclusion of those constantly subjected to it (e.g. being told they are not as good or valuable, in an overall and core sense, as others). some communities have actively resisted "treatments", while, for example, defending a unique culture or set of abilities. in the deaf community, sign language is valued even if most people do not know it, and some parents argue against cochlear implants for deaf infants who cannot consent to them. autistic people may say that their "unusual" behavior, which they say can serve an important purpose to them, should not have to be suppressed to please others. they argue instead for acceptance of neurodiversity and accommodation to different needs and goals. some people diagnosed with a mental disorder argue that they are just different and do not necessarily conform. the biopsychosocial model of disease/disability is an attempt by practitioners to address this. the neurodiversity label has been used by various mental-disability rights advocates within the context of the social model of disability. the label has been applied to other neurodevelopmental conditions apart from autism, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), developmental speech disorders, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, intellectual disability, and tourette syndrome, as well as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and some mental health conditions such as schizoaffective disorder, antisocial personality disorder, dissociative disorders, and obsessive–compulsive disorder. the social model implies that practices such as eugenics are founded on social values and a prejudiced understanding of the potential and value of those labeled disabled. "over 200,000 disabled people were some of the earlier victims of the holocaust, after communists, other political enemies, and homosexuals." a 1986 article stated:it is important that we do not allow ourselves to be dismissed as