Social model of disability

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The social model of disability, or the social view of disability, is a response to the prevailing medical model of disability . In the social model of disability, society is seen as the most important factor. Systemic barriers are identified as well as negative attitudes and exclusions .

The origin of the approach can be traced back to the 1960s, with the specific term emerging in the UK in the 1980s.

history

The concept behind the model stems from the civil rights / human rights movements of the 1960s. In 1975, the British organization claimed Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation UPIAS (Association of physically impaired against segregation ): "In our view, it is society that hinders the physically impaired people. Disability is something imposed on top of our impairments from the way we are unnecessarily isolated and excluded from being fully part of society . "

In 1983, the disabled social scientist Michael Oliver coined the expression “social model of disability” in relation to this ideological development. Oliver focuses on the idea of ​​an individual model (of which the medical was a part) versus a social model, derived from UPIAS 'original distinction between impairment and disability.

The "social model" has been expanded and developed by academics and activists in the UK, US and other countries, and expanded to include all disabled people, including those with learning difficulties / learning disabilities / or the mentally disabled or those with emotional , psychological disorders or behavioral problems .

Oliver had not intended to establish the “social model of disability” as an all-encompassing teaching of disability, rather as a starting point for changing society's view of disability.

Components and use

A key aspect of the social model concerns equality . The struggle for equality is often compared to the struggles of other socially marginalized groups . Equal rights means giving strength, the ability to make decisions, and the opportunity to live life to the fullest. A term often used by disability activists as well as other social activists is Nothing about us without us .

The social model of disability focuses on the changes that are required in society. These could be:

  • Attitudes, for example a positive attitude towards certain mental traits or behaviors, or not underestimating the potential of the quality of life of those with disabilities,
  • Social support, for example help with overcoming barriers, in dealing with resources, aids or positive discrimination , for example providing a buddy to explain the work culture to an employee with autism
  • Information, for example with suitable formats (e.g. Braille ) or levels (e.g. simplicity of language) or explanation of topics that others may take for granted,
  • Physical structures, e.g. B. Buildings with inclined access and elevators or flexible working hours for people with a circadian rhythm or sleep disorders or z. B. for people who have fear / panic attacks in rush hour.

The social model of disability implies that attempts to change, “fix” or “cure” people, especially against the will of the patient, can be discriminatory and biased. This attitude, which comes from a medical point of view and a subjective value system, can have permanent detrimental effects on self-esteem and social inclusion (e.g., they are said to be not as good or valuable as others). Some communities have actively resisted "treatments", for example to defend their unique culture or a range of skills. Sign language is valued in the Deaf community , even though most people don't know and some parents oppose cochlear implants for Deaf children who may not consent.

People diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder may oppose efforts to change them so they are like others. They argue for the acceptance of neural diversity and for the adaptation of different requirements and goals. Some people with a mental disorder argue that they are just different and not necessarily according to a norm. The bio-psychosocial model of illness / disability is a holistic attempt by practitioners at their address.

The social model implies that practices like eugenics are based on social values ​​and biases. "More than 200,000 people with disabilities were the first victims of the Holocaust."

In 1986 an article states: “It cannot be denied that we all belong to the metaphysical category of the disabled . The effect of this is depersonalization , the total loss of our individuality and denial of our right to be seen as people with our own uniqueness and not as anonymous members of a category or group. These generalized words - 'disabled', 'spina bifida', 'tetraplegia', 'muscular dystrophy' - are nothing more than terminological garbage cans into which everything important about us as human beings is thrown. "

The social model of disability is based on a distinction between the terms impairment and disability . Impairment is used to indicate the actual attributes (or lack of attributes) of a person's abnormality, be it relating to the limbs, organs or mechanisms, including psychological in nature. Disability refers to the limitations caused by society when there is no adaptation to the needs of people with disabilities.

The social model also applies to the economy. It states that people can also be handicapped by the lack of resources to meet their needs. It addresses issues such as underestimating the potential of people to contribute to the creation of material value for society by granting them the same rights and facilities and opportunities as others. In the autumn of 2001, the UK Office for National Statistics found that around one fifth of the working-age population was disabled - 7.1 million people with disabilities - compared with 29.8 million people in work. This analysis also provided insight into some of the reasons disabled people were unwilling to enter the labor market, such as reducing disability benefits when they started work so that it was not worth taking up employment. A three-pronged approach has been proposed:

  • “Incentives through the tax and benefit system, for example through the tax allowance for the disabled;
  • People back to work, for example through the New Deal for Disabled People ; and the
  • Combating discrimination in the workplace through anti-discrimination policy. The underlying laws for this are the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 and the Disability Rights Commission . "

Law and politics

In the UK, the Disability Discrimination Act defines disability from a medical perspective - people with disabilities are defined as people with certain conditions or limitations in terms of their ability to engage in “normal, everyday activities”. But the demands on employers and service providers regarding “appropriate adjustments” to their processes and procedures, or physical aspects of the conditions, follow the social model. By adapting employers and service providers, obstructing barriers are broken down in accordance with the social model and disabilities are effectively eliminated.

Since 2006, when the law was changed, local authorities and others have been required to actively promote equality for disabled people. It was implemented through the Disability Equality Duty in December 2006.

In 2010 the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) was merged with other relevant anti-discrimination legislation into the Equality Act 2010. This law ranges from discrimination to indirect discrimination. For example, it is now also illegal if a carer of a person with a disability is discriminated against. As of October 2010, after the law came into effect, it will be illegal for employers to ask sickness or disability questions during the interview unless there is a need to make appropriate adjustments in preparation for the interview. After a job offer, the employer can then lawfully ask such questions. The Equal Opportunities Act has also been expanded to cover transgender people.

In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a far-reaching civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It provides similar protections against discrimination against people with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , which states that discrimination based on race, religion, gender, national origin, and other characteristics is illegal. Some specific conditions are excluded, such as alcoholism and transsexuality .

In Australia, the Federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 provides a general medical definition that includes all forms of medically diagnosable disease or dysfunction, real or imputed, temporary or permanent, past or present. Australian law is loosely based on the US ADA.

In 2007, in the case of Chacon Navas against Eurest Colectividades SA , the European Court of Justice narrowly defined disability according to a medical definition that excludes temporary illness, taking into account the Directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (Directive 2000/78 / EG). The directive is not designed for every definition of disability, regardless of the upstream political discourse on the approval of the social model of disability in EU documents. This allowed the Court to use a narrow medical definition.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ THE UNION OF THE PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED, 1975, Fundamental Principles of Disability, London W13 / London W1, The Disability Alliance / UPIAS. Fundamentals of Disability. Accessed October 23, 2010
  2. ^ Finkelstein, V., 1975, Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation: Comments on the discussion held between the Union and the Disability Alliance on November 22nd, 1975, Fundamental Principles of Disability. Comments during the discussion between the association and the Disability Alliance on November 22, 1975
  3. ↑ Michael Oliver: Social work with disabled people October 23, 2010 ISBN 9781403918383
  4. ↑ Oliver, M. (1990) The individual and social models of disability: people with disabilities of the musculoskeletal system in hospitals. Joint workshop of the Living Options Group and the Royal College of Physicians. 23/7/1990. The individual and social models of disability: People with disabilities of the musculoskeletal system in hospitals. (en), Retrieved October 23, 2010
  5. ↑ Medical model 'vs' social model' ( Memento of the original from July 16, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bfi.org.uk
  6. ↑ James I. Charlton: Nothing about us without us: disability oppression and empowerment University of California Press ISBN 9780520224810
  7. ↑ Nothing About Us Without Us ( Memento of the original from November 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.publications.doh.gov.uk
  8. ↑ Equality and human rights commission: Examples of reasonable adjustments in the workplace ( Memento of the original dated October 23, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.equalityhumanrights.com
  9. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from July 19, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.beyonddiscovery.org
  10. ↑ http://www.neurodiversity.com/autistic_distinction.html
  11. ↑ Mckee, B. 'Disabled and the holocaust: Disabled Persecution', 2004, Disabled and the holocaust: Disabled Persecution ' ( Memento of August 24, 2006 in the Internet Archive ). Retrieved October 23, 2010
  12. ↑ Simon breeze ends: Independent Living and the Medical Model of Disability. In: Disability, Handicap & Society. 1, 1986, pp. 173-178, doi : 10.1080 / 02674648666780171 .
  13. ↑ http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/thomas%20pam/Defining%20Impairment%20within%20the%20Social%20Model%20of%20Disability.pdf
  14. ↑ Labor market experiences of people with disabilities ( Memento from August 2, 2003 in the Internet Archive )
  15. ^ The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
  16. ^ Disability Equality Duty
  17. ^ Equality Act 2010
  18. ↑ THE EQUALITY ACT 2010 Discrimination on the grounds of disability and health issues before employment ( memento of the original from March 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.thebottomlineonline.co.uk
  19. ↑ Americans with Disabilities Act OF 1990, as amended (PDF; 113 kB)