THE DIFFERENT MODELS OF DISABILITY

This term “persons with disabilities” is a terminology that applies to all persons who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that, in the face of various negative attitudes or physical obstacles, may prevent those persons from participating fully in the society. this is an approach given by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. disability in the past and for a very long time, was seen to be a medical issue, this is where persons with disabilities have been viewed, and in some cases are still seen as medical cases.

The medical viewpoint is where the person’s impairment is seen as the reason for the hindrance of the person living a full life, the focus here is put more on the impairment than the person. the impairment of the person is seen to be “abnormal” thus needing cure for the person to be seen as “normal”. But with some form of awareness and sensitization, persons living with disabilities pushed out the medical model and embraced the social model of defining disability.

 

The social model approach sees that the main cause of the exclusiveness of persons with disabilities is not in a large way related to their disability but rather to the environmental and attitudinal barriers to inclusion which are socially constructed and are seen as the ones that play a big role in the creation of the disabling conditions experienced by people with impairments.

 

This model (the social) is seen to be greatly concerned with ensuring that there is enough awareness creation and enlightenment towards the changing of the society with an aim of ensuring accommodation of persons living with disabilities. This social model of disability operates basing on assumption that the social barriers are experienced equally by both men and women living with disabilities.