The Social Model of Disability

The social model of disability was created around the idea that an individual with disabilities is only limited by the barriers placed around them by society, the environment, and the discriminatory attitudes of individuals around them. These barriers prevent them from fully participating in society.

In comparison with the medical model, the social model of disability is a person first model. It looks at the abilities and skills of each person and helps them to realize their full potential. In terms of employment there are many benefits to subscribing to the social model. Not only does it help persons with disabilities contribute to society, but it also improves their quality of life because their individual abilities are being recognized as important, and utilized for the betterment of themselves as well as others.

In many countries including the United States and Canada, the social model has helped persons with disabilities obtain employment within the community (Gottlieb, Myhill, Blanck).

The social model of disability helps to empower individuals with disabilities and makes them feel that their individual skills can be used and fully realized by employers and society.

The following video, "Who I Am", is a great representation of the social model of disability. Each person in the video describes the characteristics that make them unique, the skills they offer, and talk about their ability to perform the job they do.