How Do We Think About Disabilities: Does It Make A Difference?

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Historically, disabilities have been defined much like diseases, from a medical perspective. The words that were used (an continue to be used by some) reflected this perspective. Individuals were "diagnosed" with disabilities (much like diseases), and "treatments" were sought to fix or cure the diagnosed deficiency. The assumption was made that the disability resided within the person (again, like a disease), and external factors had little influence on the disability. This view of disability is commonly referred to as the medical model (Hahn, 1985; Kavale & Forness, 1995; Sleeter, 1995).

In reaction to the medical model, leaders in the field of disability studies have advocated for an interactional model (hahn, 1985; Sleeter, 1995). They argue that disability originate from the interaction between the individual and society and that the remedy for disability-related problems is a change in these interactions (Hahn, 1985). This may seem to be a relatively trivial change, but consider the following differences in how people think about disabilities using these models.

Obviously, the medical model views disability from a negative perspective and places the responsibility (and, in some cases, blame) for the disability on the person with the "deficiency." In contrast, the interactional model views disability not as a deficiency to be fixed but as a difference that creates challenges to be addressed. The interactional model does not ignore the disability or the challenges that a person with a disability will face. Rather, the disability is no longer perceived in a negative light but is viewed from a neutral or positive perspective, and the influence that society has on a disability, for good or bad, is recognized.

To illustrate, for most of the 20th century, most persons with disabilities that limited their mobility lacked access to many building because most buildings were not designed to be accessible (a societal decision). This lack of access was produced by a lack of convenient parking, the use of steps rather than ramps for entering buildings, heavy doors that required much arm strength to open rather than automatic doors, restrooms that were not accessible and lack of elevators to access different floors of a building, among other things.

During the last 25 years of the 20th century, society made a decision (with the passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act) that persons with disabilities that reduced their mobility should have access to buildings. Thus, newly constructed buildings were required to be accessible (e.g., with designated parking spaces, ramps, automatic doors, elevators, accessible restrooms), greatly enhancing the independent access to these settings.