If you live or work in the United States, you are likely familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. In the ADA, the term ‘disability’ refers to an individual with ; (A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, (B), a record of such an impairment; or (C) being regarded as having such an impairment.
Merriam-Webster defines disability as 'A physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person’s ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions.'
These definitions only reflect one aspect of disability.
Disability Scholars have developed several ways of looking at disability. The two most well-known models of disability are the Social Model and the Medical Model.
You may ask yourself why are these academic models relevant in the workplace? These models will allow you to see disability from a different perspective and gain a greater understanding of how to make your workplace more accessible and inclusive.
The Medical model is likely where your first understanding of disability comes from, even if you have never heard the term before.
From the University of Leicester, “The medical model of disability views disability as a problem that belongs to the disabled individual. Is not seen as an issue to concern anyone other than the individual affected.”
In this model, disability is an impairment itself, it’s a medical problem to be ‘fixed’ and solved.
Pros: Address biological sources of disabilities and finds ways to medically manage conditions, acknowledges the challenges of disability.
Cons: Treats disability as a ‘problem’ of the individual, overlooks the broader constraints imposed by unwelcoming/inaccessible environments
The definitions above, from the ADA and Merriam-Webster, reflect this model.
The Social model takes the opposite approach.
From the University of Leicester, “This model draws on the idea that it is society that disables people, through designing everything to meet needs of the majority of people who are not disabled.”
In this model, it is not an impairment that is disabling, but the circumstances surrounding the individual. The problem lies with society for not building inclusive spaces and practices.
Pros: Makes it clear that challenges faced by people with disabilities are not inevitable or a characteristic of the individual. It shows societies can improve the lives of people with disabilities by ensuring the world is designed to accommodate everyone.
Cons: This model downplays the embodied aspects of disabilities, often arguing that the disability has nothing to do with the characteristics of an individual. In other words, this model doesn’t consider how issues like chronic pain are in and of themselves disabling.
Viewing disability through the social model, we now recognize that the disability itself is not the impairment, disability is not what holds an individual back. What holds a person back from living a full life is societal barriers. These can be literal barriers, such as not having a ramp beside a staircase, or more subtle, such as not taking the time to listen to someone with speech differences.
In the workplace, I encourage you to view disability through the social model, and to examine your working environment to find ways to make it more accessible to everyone.
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