Models
There are different ways of thinking about disability; these ways of thinking, the values
that underpin them and the presumptions that flow from them can be described by
the models described below.
These models should not be ascribed to particular groups, for example the ‘medical
model’ should not be seen as a position taken by all medical or health practitioners.
What’s more it is possible for people to think in different ways in different situations.
Reflecting on the different models is useful as it may help us to avoid making
assumptions and may help us to respond to individuals in a positive way.
The Medical Model of Disability
The medical model sees disability as something that is ‘wrong’ with a person’s body or
mind.
For example this model might suggest that a disabled person is ‘suffering’ from an
illness, disease, genetic defect or injury that would ideally be “treated and cured.” This
way of thinking often makes people want to help by fixing the problem, maybe using
drugs, surgery or other interventions. This way of thinking may also make people want
to help by preventing transmission of the problem to other generations maybe by
promoting interventions such as sterilisation or contraception. The medical model is
said to make the following assumptions:
The young person (their body or mind) is the problem
The problem may make difficult for it young person to make good decisions
about their own life
They are likely to need professionals to look after them
If the problem cannot be fixed, they will never be equal to other young people
Critique of the Medical Model
The medical model is criticised for seeing the impairment as the most important part
of the person and suggesting the person is helpless to do anything about this. The
medical model is said to be deterministic as it suggests a particular problem will always
mean a person cannot be equal. Consequently this may reduce the life chances and
options of a young person. The medical model also implies that the young person is
merely a passive recipient of treatment. Labelling Theory (Becker 1963) would suggest
that society sets up rules, which people follow to be accepted. These rules can include
quite subtle injunctions such as the way someone looks patterns of behaviour, or how
clever they are. The unique person may be subsumed under the master label of their
impairment, for which the medical model provides them with a ready-made label.
Finally, the medical model is essentially disablist because it defines everything in terms
of an able bodied norm, instead of taking a viewpoint from the disabled young person.
