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Medical Model & Social Model Of Disability- Embracing Acceptance

Writer's picture: Annie KrollAnnie Kroll
Brain made up of dots and lines
Brain

As a college student, I had some difficulties accessing accomodations for a class after I had a medical flare up. I felt isolated, and scared I wouldn't be able to pass the class without getting my accomodations approved. This blog post, I want to tell that story using two social models of disability: the medical model and the social model. A model is a theory, or set of guidelines, to help describe a set of beliefs or ideas. Models are then strengthened with data points found in various experiments.


The medical model of disability views disability as a deficit, and seeks to find a cure, eliminate symptoms, and normalize behaviors using medical tools (Goodly, 2016; Disability Nottinghamshire, n.d.) Under the medical model, the cure for my issues accessing stairs would be to strengthen the muscles in my legs using medical tools like physical therapy, muscle relaxers, and other medications. The solution for my struggle to read certain social cues would be to find a cure for autism that would alter the parts of my brain that respond to stimulation differently. Disability is viewed as something to treat with medical intervention with the medical model of disability.


The social model of disability views disability as something to accommodate. This model aims to eliminate barriers to access, support challenges, and embrace differences that could result due to the disability. Unlike the medical model, the main barrier to entry with the social model of disability is society's current structure (Goodly, 2016; Disability Nottinghamshire, n.d.). The solution for my struggle accessing stairs using the social model would be to introduce tools like canes, wheelchairs, ramps, and other tools to help me access common areas. The solution for my struggle to read certain social cues using the social model would be to help come up with systems to be able to ask questions, make signage when appropriate, and help create tools to eliminate confusion. With the social model of disability, barriers are due to the way current society functions, rather than an inherent defect.


I am going to use a situation in my life to explain which model I prefer. In college, I needed some additional accommodations due to a medical flare up I had. I had less energy and more pain, so I needed to negotiate and adjust how many hours I would be working for a project. The details broke down to where I would commit the same amount of volunteer work to the organization, while limiting the more fun skill building experiences that were considered extras. After I got my documentation from a doctor, communicated to the director that the potential hour decrease discussed previously was required, and came up with a plan to still fulfill my semesterly requirements in a fair way, I was met with a negative reaction from a professor. This professor made claims in a public email that these accommodations would never happen again. I was able to consult with the proper centers to instate these accommodations, but the damage was done. I was presented as someone who was not doing work, rather than someone who was willing to adapt my work. I successfully completed my volunteer obligations early, aiming to not only do work for the moment, but tried to create templates and resources for those who came after me. I still have a good relationship with the organization, and hope to raise disability awareness there as a volunteer.


Now, I will explain why this matters. The medical model would put the blame entirely on me. I could not find a cure for my flare up using medical intervention, so I was at a deficit and unable to complete the work. I would have only had two options: fail, or strain my body trying to catch up. The burden is on me to make it work, and the only solution is a cure for me to not have these issues. Meanwhile, with the social model, other solutions could be made. In this example, I could complete my internship over zoom by running online things like social media, doing research, and creating templates. I used email to keep open communication, and tracked all of my hours. I was not treated as having a deficit, or not valuable of having an opportunity, but rather someone who could be accommodated to give back. I really appreciate my time volunteering for this organization because I felt like I was able to do what I enjoyed in an accessible yet fair environment. Instead of not being able to access the opportunity (as was indirectly proposed by the professor by implying these types of accomodations wouldn't happen again and apologizing for my work ethic), accomodations were made where I could succeed. To prove this worked, I was later informed that I graduated top of the class in which this internship was required. Giving people accommodations, rather than expecting us to just make it work or not apply, helps us succeed and be independent. I advocate for the social model of disability because it highlights disabled people as full people who want what everyone wants: acceptance and accessibility.


 

Thank you for reading to learn about the importance of the social and medical models of disability! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment under the questions tab or over at @Anniekrollblog over on Instagram! See you next week!


References:

Goodley, D. 2016. Disability Studies: An Interdisciplinary Introduction. 2nd ed. London: Sage. 

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