Medical and Social Models of Disability Essay - 1857 Words

It could be said that in modern industrial society, Disability is still widely regarded as tragic individual failing, in which its â€Å"victims† require care, sympathy and medical diagnosis. Whilst medical science has served to improve and enhance the quality of life for many it could be argued that it has also led to further segregation and separation of many individuals. This could be caused by its insistence on labelling one as â€Å"sick†, â€Å"abnormal† or â€Å"mental†. Consequently, what this act of labelling and diagnosing has done, is enforce the societal view that a disability is an abnormality that requires treatment and that any of its â€Å"victims† should do what is required to be able to function in society as an able bodied individual. The†¦show more content†¦The strong word in this definition is the word ‘normal’ whereby it can be said that the medical model aims to separate those who are considered normal and those that are not by terms of their ability or impairments in regards to undertaking a given tasks. It could be argued that this separation is not an easy task due to the scale and wide range of physical and psychological impairments that exist in a modern aging society, as Barnes and Mercer state â€Å"the notion that disablement is a medical problem which affects only a small proportion of the population can no longer be sustained† (1996:11). According the 2011 census one fifth of the population in the UK where registered as having a disability (ONS 2011) , according to another study, four out of every ten adult women and men have a `long standing illness or disability (CSO, 1996). The size of these figures, when combined with an aging population that is forever rising, are o nly set to increase year on year. With these figures in mind it could be argued that the full â€Å"range of actions† considered normal by society can only be fully undertaken by a select few, making fully abled minded and bodied individuals the minority. Despite this the medical model still hold on to the belief that individuals need to be treated to adhere to the norm. It is due to this that the model is sometimes also referred to as the â€Å"personal tragedy model† as it regards the difficulties that people with anShow MoreRelatedSocial Medical Model Disability1203 Words   |  5 PagesThe social and medical model of disability There are a number of ‘models’ of disability which have been defined over the last few years. The two most frequently mentioned are the ‘social’ and the ‘medical’ models of disability. The medical model of disability views disability as a ‘problem’ that belongs to the disabled individual. It is not seen as an issue to concern anyone other than the individual affected. For example, if a wheelchair using student is unable to get into a building becauseRead MoreThe Medical And Social Models Of Disability2264 Words   |  10 Pages What do you understand by the medical and social models of disability? Illustrate your answer with examples from your media portfolio. The social and medical model are separate elements which have a big impact on people’s life. Disability as a whole influences society because we start from a young age learning, which will effect the kind of person we are and the kind of person we become. The word ‘model’ helps define the disability and understand the concepts in which it is perceived by individualsRead More Social and Medical Disability Models Essay2243 Words   |  9 PagesI aim to provide the reader with an overview of two prominent models of disability: the medical model and the social model. More specifically, I intend to outline the differences between these models, especially their theory and practice. Firstly, I will note the definition of what a model of disability is and point to its relevance in disability studies. I will also briefly examine the origins of both the medical and social models, but mainly outlining the contributions of their respective theoreticalRead More3.3 Explain the Social and Medical Models of Disability and the Impact of Each on Practice.998 Words   |  4 PagesSocial models and medical models of disability By labelling a child because of there disability can prevent us as seeing the child as a whole person like their gender, culture and social background the medical models is a traditional view of disability and that through medical intervention the person can be cured where in fact in most cases there is no cure. They expect disabled people to change to fit into society. The social model of disability looks at ways to address issues to enable peopleRead MoreModels of Disability941 Words   |  4 PagesModels of Disability Disability is a human reality that has been perceived differently by diverse cultures and historical periods.   For most of the 20th century, disability was defined according to a medical model. In the medical model, disability is assumed to be a way to characterize a particular set of largely static, functional limitations. This led to stereotyping and defining people by condition or limitations.   World Health Organization (WHO) – New definition of Disability In 2001, theRead MoreThe Medical Model Of Disability952 Words   |  4 PagesDisability means something entirely different depending on the people you ask. Ask a person who does not have a disability and they may give you a view that is based on the medical model of disability. Ask a person that is disabled and they may give you a view that is based on the social model of disability. While both views of what disability means have their merits, not one interpretation is universally accepted. I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. At the intersection of the medicalRead MoreThe Medical Model Of Disability1533 Words   |  7 PagesThe medical model focuses more on the problem and not the person, so the problem would be things such as the disabilities and impairments rather than the needs of the person. The medical model thinks the way to solve the disability would be through things such as surgery, physio etc. If people who follow the medical model think that that a medical cure is not possible then they could exclude someone with a disability from a normal day to day activities or they could be shut way from society in aRead MoreContrast Between Social Model and Medical Model844 Words   |  4 PagesContrast Between Social Model and Medical Model. In my research I have come across many contrasts between the Social and Medical Models and here is just some of what I have found out. Under the Medical Model in New Zealand we have a very direct view with those that are classified as intellectually disabled, for example a child that is diagnosed with ADHD is automatically going to be hard for Parents and Society as a whole to deal with as according to Medical Model these children have authorityRead MoreSocial Model And The Medical Model1577 Words   |  7 PagesIn today s society two models dominate, the social model and the medical model. Both are used to label those who have impairments. The social model focuses on fixing the society to fit in with impairments which was introduced alongside the disability movement. The 18th century otherwise knowns as the age of enlightenment saw the introduction of some although very primitive ideas of human science and what may cause impairments with this came the ideals that today may be argued to be held with credibilityRead MoreEvaluate Two Models of Disability in Terms of Explaining the Concept of Disability.1613 Words   |  7 PagesEvaluate two models of disability in terms of explaining the concept of disability. Medical model;-- Weaknesses;-- There are many weaknesses of the medical model. One of the weaknesses that I am going to talk about is that in some cases people see the medical model as an insult due to the fact that the model tries to ‘fix’ people with a disability instead of making adjustments and adaptions to environments, activities etc†¦ for them. Due to the fact that the medical model is trying to ‘fix’ tem, may