2.3. Describe the medical and social models of disability

This guide will help you answer 2.3. Describe the medical and social models of disability.

Understanding the frameworks we use to perceive disability is essential for anyone working in health and social care, particularly when supporting individuals with learning disabilities. This topic encourages care workers to consider how different approaches affect their practice, attitudes, and the outcomes for those they support.

The Medical Model of Disability

The medical model views disability primarily as a problem or deficit located within the individual. This model originates from the healthcare profession, where conditions, disorders, or impairments are identifiable, treated, or ideally cured. The focus is on diagnosis and treatment, regarding disability as an undesirable deviation from normal health.

Key Features of the Medical Model

• Individual Focused: It sees the individual as the problem. The approach suggests that any restrictions or challenges faced are because of the individual’s condition.
• Diagnosis and Treatment: The aim is to treat or cure the disability. Healthcare professionals are central figures in this model, using medical interventions to alleviate or manage symptoms.
• Language and Terminology: The terms used often emphasise illness and abnormality, such as “sufferers,” “patients,” or “diseased.”
• Objective Assessments: Professionals make assessments based on medical criteria that determine the extent and nature of the disability.
• Dependency: It can lead to dependency on medical solutions and authority, diminishing the role of personal input and choice for the individual.

Criticisms of the Medical Model

• Paternalistic: It can foster a paternalistic approach, where professionals make decisions on behalf of individuals without considering their preferences.
• Narrow Perspective: It reduces a complex experience to a list of symptoms, neglecting environmental factors and individual capabilities.
• Limited Agency: By focusing on what is ‘wrong’ with the person, it can rob individuals of agency and overlook their potential contributions and abilities.

The Social Model of Disability

The social model, developed as a counter to the medical model, shifts the focus from the individual to the societal structures that impose limitations. This model asserts that disability arises from the interaction between individuals with impairments and societal barriers.

Key Features of the Social Model

• Environmental Focus: It emphasises the need to remove societal barriers – such as physical obstacles, discriminatory practices, and policies – to ensure accessibility and equality.
• Empowerment and Inclusion: It promotes empowerment, ensuring individuals have a say in decisions affecting them. This model values inclusivity and accessibility.
• Positive Language: The language in the social model is more empowering, focusing on rights, access, and support rather than sickness or abnormality.
• Holistic View: It sees disability as part of human diversity and values diverse abilities. The societal and attitudinal barriers are the real problems to address.
• Collaboration and Advocacy: Encourages collaboration among individuals, communities, and professionals to advocate for policy changes and awareness.

The Advantages of the Social Model

• Empowerment and Rights: It empowers individuals by prioritising their rights and involving them in decisions, fostering independence and self-worth.
• Holistic Approach: This model acknowledges that barriers to participation often result from the environment, not the individual’s condition.
• Policy Influence: It has influenced policies, encouraging legislative changes like the Equality Act 2010, aiming to protect the rights of disabled persons in the UK.

Comparing the Models in Practice

Medical Model Approach

In practice, a care worker using the medical model might focus on interventions to manage the individual’s symptoms. For example, if supporting someone with a learning disability, they may prioritise structured therapies and medical appointments. The overarching aim is to integrate the individual into the ‘norm’ by reducing their impairments.

Social Model Approach

A social model-informed approach encourages care workers to consider how their environment can be adapted to support the individual’s participation. For someone with learning disabilities, this could mean:

• Adjusting Communication: Using clear, easy-to-read materials or visual aids to communicate information.
• Altering Physical Spaces: Ensuring spaces are accessible, such as providing ramps and adjusted workstations.
• Fostering Inclusion: Promoting an inclusive environment within the community or workplace, breaking down social stigma around disabilities.

Combining Both Models

While these models differ, their principles can complement each other effectively. Neither model is flawless, and often, a combined approach is beneficial.

• Balanced Perspective: Recognising that while medical interventions can improve quality of life, removing social barriers is equally essential.
• Personalised Care: Using medical insight for tailored treatments, while also advocating for societal change to enhance individual participation and accessibility.

The Importance for Care Workers

Understanding these models allows care workers to adopt a more well-rounded approach when supporting individuals with learning disabilities. It encourages a shift from simply attempting to ‘fix’ to embracing diversity and advocating for a society that accommodates everyone.

Impact on Practice

• Promotes Empathy: By adopting the social model, care workers develop a greater understanding of the societal challenges individuals face rather than viewing the person as the problem.
• Increases Advocacy: Care workers are better equipped to advocate for their clients, pushing for changes that will ease daily life.
• Encourages Innovation: It fosters creative solutions that address the needs of individuals in diverse ways, encouraging practitioners to think outside conventional medical treatment and consider holistic methods.

Final Thoughts

For care workers, understanding both the medical and social models of disability is essential. Each model offers valuable insights that can dramatically change how care workers perceive and interact with individuals with learning disabilities. By recognising and addressing the limitations of both frameworks, care workers can support a future that is inclusive, empowering, and cognisant of all forms of diversity.

Engaging with these models on a deep level equips care workers with the tools to provide compassionate, comprehensive, and person-centred care. It encourages them to move beyond traditional care and embrace advocacy, empowerment, and inclusion in everyday practice.