Evaluate Two Models of Disability in Terms of Explaining the Concept of Disability.

The amount of people who live with disabilities is a controversial number. Depending on what law and diagnostic tools used, a person may have a visible disability, or one that may lie beneath the surface of his or her appearance. Some people believe that the term “disability” is merely a label use to hold back, or prescribe helplessness. Meanwhile, individuals who have been properly diagnosed with disabilities struggle to maintain respect and acceptance every day. In plain language, there is a lot of misunderstanding between people with disabilities and those without. It is firstly important to get everyone on the same page regarding the definition of disability.

The Medical Model regards disability as an individual problem. It promotes a traditional view of disability, that it is something to be ‘cured’, even though many conditions have no cure. The problem is seen as the disabled person and their impairment, not society, and the solution is seen as adapting the disabled person to fit the non-disabled world, often through medical intervention. Control resides firmly with professionals; choices for the individual are limited to the options provided and approved by the 'helping' expert.

“The medical model is presented as viewing disability as a problem of the person, directly caused by disease, trauma, or other health condition which therefore requires sustained medical care provided in the form of individual treatment by professionals. In the medical model, management of the disability is aimed at a "cure," or the individual's adjustment and behavioral change that would lead to an "almost-cure" or effective cure.” (Langtree, 2012)

Having a physical disability may effect a persons ability to work and therefore they would need income support and “out

The medical model defines a disability as something that is physically ‘wrong’ with a person’s body. This could be an illness or acquired damage to the body in an accident for example. The medical model views the human body as something which can be fixed or repaired if there is a problem with it.

The former US President Bill Clinton said, “New information and communications technologies can improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, but only if such technologies are designed from the beginning, so that everyone can use them.” Discussing disabilities in general will take longer than one day. I am going to talk about physical disabilities .As the Longman dictionary defines physical disability is a limitation of a person 's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity and stamina. The issue of disability is not just a matter that concerns disabled people. It has been the problem for ages in the American history and if it is not controlled it can cause big fight. When someone is disabled, it does not mean that he or she cannot be educated. According to the Washington Post, education is the breath of life, without it man cannot survive. Education is free in America, which means everyone can obtain an equal education. One would ask if colleges have gone too far to accommodate students with disabilities. Colleges have not gone far enough to support the disabled.

The medical model of disability views disabilities as a problem that belongs to the disabled person. It is not seen as a problem that needs the concern of anyone else apart from the disabled individual affected, for example if a wheelchair user is unable to get into a building because there are steps then, the wheelchair is seen as the problem not the steps, according to the medical model.

In a debate between the social construction of disability and the medical model, I would side with social construction of disability. Prior to reading Chapter 3 of Rethinking Disability, I would have sided with the medical model since that was the only approach I was made aware of. In all of my studies, this is the method that I was shown. I was taught that if a student presents symptoms of having a disability, the teacher would include the parents and the student to undergo all of the steps such as, the examination, diagnosis, prescription, and follow up. We are so used to this process that we do not look beyond it to analyze what this really means. As stated in the chapter, after these students are diagnosed with all these labels, society

“Obviously, because of my disability, I need assistance. But I have always tried to overcome my condition and lead as full a life as possible.” Stephen Hawking, who is often regarded as one of the greatest minds in history, did indeed have a severe disability that would have discouraged many from pursuing any type of career, but he did not let his condition stop him from unraveling the mysteries of our world. As he stated, Hawking has always tried to live the fullest life he could, but he could not have done it without the support and assistance of others. Christopher Reeve, another person who did not let his paralysis keep him from achieving great things, wrote a compelling speech that pushed for increased support and assistance for

Most people could only dream of being awarded a Nobel Prize Award, and very few people can say that they have. On a normal occasion this is very impressive accomplishment on its own, but it is considered even more impressive if you are challenged with a learning disability. This was the case of Carol Greider who worked through her dyslexia and managed to make major discoveries in the science world. Her discoveries have had the impact to help make major medical advancements. Additionally, Carol has become an inspiration for many by working extremely hard to achieve so much despite the fact that tests in school labelled her as below average. In the lab, however, she was exceptional.

And later in the modern era when science came. To know that the disability is actually caused by genetic disorders. Not a punishment from God I do not know what to do. So they change their perspective on the disabled. They are helped by the same humanity. They began to provide educational opportunities for the disabled. Labor training in England World War I and World War II caused more disabilities around the world. Mainly due to injuries from the war. Made from normal people become disabled. For this reason, they came out claiming the rights of the disabled. To see that they have the same rights as normal people. They need social and environmental help in areas such as employment, socialization, facilities and infrastructure that are conducive

The dominant model of disability for the majority of the 20th century was the medical model. The medical model’s emphasis is on impairment; this is the cause of the disadvantage disabled individuals face and therefore the site of interventions (Crow, 1996). It is based in the biomedical and clinical. It views disability as a personal tragedy, an idea which is often implicit in work around disability based on the medical model. (Oliver, 1990).

Developed in response to societal experiences which left the disabled person feeling socially isolated and oppressed. Lack of opportunities, choice restrictions and lack of control over the support systems led them to question the traditional dominant medical model.

Over the years, perceptions towards disability have been significantly changing as result of the long pathway the disable community has taken fighting for Civil Rights, inclusion and against discrimination. Unfortunately, this last one has not been totally accomplished yet. Barriers to social integration still exist in the society. Perhaps the greatest barrier is not the disability itself; is the attitude of people.

Approximately 15% of the world’s population is, in a way, disabled. Whether it is a physical disability or a serious chronic disease, we have about one billion people in the world that live with a disability every day of their lives. It often occurs that these people are seen as an outcast of society; people that cannot live normal lives. It is important to realize that this is not true at all. People with disabilities are completely able to be part of the world. It is just the world’s duty to accept them.