Social model of disability

A brief definition of the social model of disability, one of the major theories within the fields of Disability Studies and Critical SEN.

Transcript:
The social model of disability is all about making society and the environment more accessible to everybody, including those with mental or bodily impairments. Its followers believe that it is not an impairment that makes somebody disabled, instead, it is society’s treatment of people with impairments and the environment around us, like classrooms, workplaces and public transport that disables people.
Disabled people face various barriers in society and the environment, which could include, for instance:
• An entrance having steps, instead of a ramp.
• Employers not wanting to give a disabled person a job.
• If texts aren’t made available in different formats such as audio or large print.
• Buses and trains being so overcrowded that it makes difficult for people to cope.
Disabled people criticise the medical model because they do not want to be ‘fixed’ or pitied, and they do not ‘suffer’ from their impairments. They suffer from a poorly designed environment and a society that doesn’t take their wants and needs into account, and that treats them like second class citizens.