Disabilty Model

Question 1

Def of Disability

Answer 1

• 1974 The Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) established disability as the ‘disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by contemporary social organisation which takes little or no account of people with impairments and thus excludes them from participation in the mainstream of social activities’ (UPIAS 1976: 14).

Question 2

introduction - social and medical model

Answer 2

• The medical model takes the view that the restrictions associated with disability – (what handicaps disabled people) – are caused by the physical and/or mental impairments that disabled people ‘suffer’ from.
• Whereas, UPIAS suggest that the cause of disability is ‘contemporary social organisation’; the social political and economic structures that prevent disabled people from making their way in the world.

Question 3

Example of medical and social disability model

Answer 3

• For the medical model a disabled person cannot get on the bus because they cannot walk and have to use a wheelchair. The cause is the impairment; so, to get on the bus the impairment needs to be fixed.
• For the social model a disabled person cannot get on the bus because the design of the bus excludes her from doing so. The cause of disability is the bus. For the disabled person to get on the bus, the bus needs to be fixed. Disability is therefore failures in the construction of the objects.
• The medical model is an ‘individual’ model.
• For the medical model, the problem, is located at a personal level, in the very constitution of the individual; in her flaws and deficits.
• For the social model the problem is external to the body, has nothing to do with an individual’s impairment.
• The problem is a collective, as it is caused by the discriminatory constitution of the world that has been made for the benefit of non-disabled people.
• The social model transforms our understanding of disability from an individual medical problem into a public issue and a sociological problem. The medical model is rejected:

Question 4

why did Oliver 1900 reject medical model

Answer 4

Disability theorists, rejected the medical model and promoted the ‘social’, redefining ‘difference’, demanding respect and formal and practical access to the full range of opportunities long available to the so-called ‘normal’ or able-bodied (Scambler and Kelleher 2006: 220)

Question 5

Medical model

Answer 5

Judging disability solely from a medical point of view can arguably be negative way to view disability.
The reason for this is it simplifies disability t a physical abnormality & doesn’t take into consideration other factors such as context in which disabled people live.

The DPM believed that medical model was hindering the experiences of disabled as it did not take into account their personal thoughts or views on the matter, just medical stance on it.

Under medical model, any impairments r differences should be changed by medical treatments.
This can affect the experiences of the disabled as it can lead to individuals losing independence, choice and control in their own lives.

Question 6

Social model

Answer 6

Critiques towards social model of disability first started to spread amongst feminists who were involved in UK disability involvement.

Believed social model did not cover impairment enough. In 90’s Liz crow and Jenny Moris full support of social model. Argued that impairment bound to have an impact on what disabled people could do and this wasn’t represented by social module enough.

Believed caused by impairment than disability- felt this was not focused enough by social model.
Sociologists had started to take idea of body as an object of sociological investigation.

Majority of sociologists believe that impairment had to be brought back in disability studies in same way body was brought back into society.

Question 7

equality act 2010

Answer 7

Equality act 2010

• The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people. Disability does not just mean impaired mobility or sensory reduction, but can also mean conditions such as diabetes, cancer, lupus syndrome and conditions related to mental health, learning disabilities, and hidden disabilities.
• Long-term means lasting longer than 12 months or for the rest of your life if this is expected to be shorter than 12 months.
• Discrimination arising from a disability is also unlawful under the Equality Act. This is where a disabled person is treated unfavourably because something that is connected with their disability, and the treatment cannot be justified.
• the Equality Act also says that a failure to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ is unlawful.

Examples:

• Flexibility about course requirements and deadlines, while maintaining academic standards.
• Special exam arrangements including the provision of question papers in alternative formats.

Question 8

Disability duty act

Answer 8

The disability equality duty: The Public Sector Equality Duty came into force in December 2006.
It requires all public authorities to take action to combat disability discrimination and harassment and to promote disability equality. Under this duty public sector organizations must assess all their processes and combat disability discrimination both as a service provider and as an employer.

Example

In April 2006, a Nottingham teacher won almost £200,000 in compensation after her employers failed to help her cope with her failing eyesight. Gaynor Meikle, 59, resigned in 2000 after the school failed to provide large print materials and better classroom lighting. She won a claim of constructive dismissal at an industrial tribunal.

Question 9

International

Answer 9

International

• The advent of the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is regarded worldwide disability movement. After campaigning, the rights of disabled people around world were finally to be recognised in a legally-binding international agreement, which would also set the agenda for bringing them into the mainstream of society.

Question 10

history invalidation

Answer 10

• For Augustine, children born deaf are a sign of God’s anger at the sins of their parents;
• Modern medicine defines disability as a pathology an abnormality something that needs to be put right, corrected: In the eyes of modern science disability is a ‘flaw’; a ‘deficit’; an error; ‘what not to be’. The American Disability scholar Lennard Davis, describes Medicine’s jurisdiction over disability as a ‘tyranny of normalcy’;

Question 11

some things done to them over course of history

Answer 11

• The number of disabled victims of the Nazi euthanasia programme, including disabled people who were killed in the death camps is estimated to be in excess of 600,000
• The UN claims that ‘Disabled children may be killed either immediately at birth or at some point after birth; and sometimes years after birth. The rational for such killings is either 1) the belief that the child is evil or will bring misfortune to the family or the community or 2) the belief that the child is suffering or will suffer and is better off dead’ (United Nations Children’s Fund 2005)