Activity 2.5 - Models of Accessibillity

Medical Model (or Individual Model)
"Under the medical model, disabled people are defined by their illness or medical condition [...] The medical model promotes the view of a disabled person as dependent and needing to be cured or cared for, and it justifies the way in which disabled people have been systematically excluded from society. The disabled person is the problem, not society." (Making Your Teaching Inclusive, 2006)

Rehabilitation Model
"An offshoot of the medical model, which regards the disability as a deficiency that must be fixed by a rehabilitation professional or other helping professional" (Kaplan, 2000)

Social Model (or Disability Model)
"The social model has been developed by disabled people in response to the medical model and the impact it has had on their lives. Under the social model, disability is caused by the society in which we live and is not the ‘fault’ of an individual disabled person, or an inevitable consequence of their limitations. Disability is the product of the physical, organisational and attitudinal barriers present within society, which lead to discrimination. The removal of discrimination requires a change of approach and thinking in the way in which society is organised [...] The social model has been developed with the aim of removing barriers so that disabled people have the same opportunity as everyone else to determine their own life styles." (Making Your Teaching Inclusive, 2006)

Charity Model
"Ten to 15 years ago, this model was accused of portraying disabled people as helpless, sad and in need of care and protection. Such portrayals were argued to be perpetuating damaging stereotypes and misconceptions. More recently, charities have been using more positive images to portray (and thus define) disability" (Seale, 2006)

Administrative Model
"Administrative models of disability usually relate to specific areas of life such as education or employment and are used to assess whether or not people are eligible for certain benefits or compensation [...] critics of this model argue that disabled people rarely fit into the neat boxes that administrators provide. " (Seale, 2006)

Moral Model
"A moral model of disability [...] regards disability as the result of sin" (Kaplan, 2000)