The Terms and Social Model of Disability - Essay Example

? Introduction Defining individuals as belonging to a specific group is one which is determined by the experiences which that individual may have. When defining those who are disabled, there is an understanding that there are specific limits in experience and actions and thoughts which individuals who are disabled are incapable of going through. According to Liz Crow, the social defining points of disability limit the understanding of experience from those who are disabled. Instead of building a component to assist those who are disabled, stereotypes, barriers and the lack of doing specific actions because of the labels of disability become the main focus within society. The challenge which is presented is based on defining the idea of disability from a social perspective, as well as how this can change the perception of the abilities one has. Medical Model and Definitions of Disability The traditional perception of disability is one which is defined by the social capacities one has as well as the experiences which one goes through. According to Crow, the concept of disability is one which is limited, specifically because of the definition of disability that is interpreted within society. The main focus is that one who is disabled has gone through a personal tragedy, specifically which leads to disadvantages, oppression of opportunities and impairments that don’t allow for the same experiences of life to be a part of what one needs. The problem which occurs is one which is based on the medical model of disability, specifically which is interpreted in society as a social context which impairs one from life experiences (Crow, 1996). The definitions of disability are one which is defined specifically through a medical application. One who has impairment has a loss of psychological, physical or anatomical structures or functions. One who has a disability is restricted or has a lack of performance of activities, specifically which relates to an impairment. The handicap definition is the disadvantage that one has because of the impairment or disability. Within the medical framework, the experience is determined by a loss of one function or action or the inability to perform in a given manner because of the restrictions that are a part of the physical or psychological impairment (Crow, 1996). Crow shows that the medical model is one which doesn’t align with the social model, which creates the attitude that the individual who is suffering from impairment can’t overcome the difficulty or struggle. Instead, the impairment creates a lack or loss in all activities that one can do within a given environment (Crow, 1996). The main challenge which Crow shows with the concept of disability are that the social stigma surrounding a handicap means that an individual is incapable of everything. For instance, if one has impairment with hearing, then this leads to the inability of all functions both mentally and physically and eliminates the individual from activities that are within society. The experiences which one has differ from the social stigma which has arisen around the concept of disability. The assumptions that are made within society then create a stereotype of the experiences and ideals which are based around the handicapped and impaired. This leads to a belief that the quality of life that one has who is impaired is limited in experience. However, those who are disabled may not have the limited experience or restrictions which others in society have labeled them with (Crow, 1996). Social Context of Disability The main stereotypes which are taken with the terms of disability are furthered by the ways in which society responds to the given labels which are created outside of medical terms. The first stigma which is created is one which leads to a sense of oppression. When one believes that an individual is disabled, then there is a perspective that this means all the functions and abilities of the individual are limited. The response is to oppress those who are in this state, such as not providing the same experiences and opportunities that others in society may have. The concept which has been developed is based on disabled or normal interactions within society. If one has a disabled experience, then the actions and functions are automatically repressed because the individual doesn’t have the capability of overcoming the functions. If the actions are normal, then the experiences will help the individual to have continuous interaction in society. This social divide then leads to the unconscious oppression of those who are disabled in society and the rejection which begins to occur because of the stereotypes created from what it means to be disabled (Barton, 2006). Another social context which has developed is based on the labels that have grown not only with general experiences but also types of disabilities. The term of mental retardation is one of the examples that show how the social context alters according to stereotypes. If one is called retarded, then there are automatic implications that this means all actions will have the same response, which may relate to the inability to process materials or a slow reaction to the disabilities which occur. The stereotypes then lead to those in society automatically excluding those who are named with this disability because of the belief that there won’t be comprehension of experiences or the ability to respond in a given manner. However, there is a gap between the social viewpoint of this term and the experience. Often times, the psychological response is limited to one factor that doesn’t work as quickly, as opposed to the entire brain not functioning correctly. The gap that is between the experience and the social stigma shows that there is misunderstandings with the reality of experience from those who have this handicap (Schalock, Luckasson, Shogren, 2007). The social context which is created through definitions and beliefs in what one can do through terms is furthered by the stigma which is surrounding the disability. This begins with the family and the beliefs which factor around the care needed because of the inactivity of the specific functions. Often, family and those surrounding the individual who is disabled will create a belief that the disability is a crisis, specifically because of the stresses and misunderstandings of how to care for one with the disability lead to complexities and problems with family life. The lack of resources, available options for helping to change the mindset of those who are surrounding one with a disability and the inability to identify problems with one who has a disability create the main definitions. Those in the family then begin to approach others which create the social stigma about the lack of functioning that one may have if they are disabled. To change the social terms and definitions, new understanding within families, as well as from peers, will need to be created so there is a stronger understanding of development and the realities of disabilities, as opposed to the reflection which those who don’t understand the experience begin to define (Walsh, 2006). Legislations of Disability The social stigma, stereotypes and the lack of understanding of experience to those who are disabled has started to change the approach of several in society. Legislation for those who are disabled is taking effect in various countries with the determination that redefining and creating movements against the stereotypes needs to be heightened. In the UK, legislation includes the Disability Awareness in Action and in the US legislation is built on the Disability Discrimination Act. There are also legislative practices taking effect internationally for the same concerns. The objective of each of these is to begin re-training the individuals who are in society and that are looking at disabilities from a social perspective. Legislation is focused on changing the stereotypes of those who are disabled while bringing new levels of knowledge that incorporates the realities of those who are disabled. This is based on trying to find ways to change attitudes within institutions, corporations and among communities in society by bringing awareness about disabilities (Thornicroft, Rose, 2007). There are two approaches which legislation is taking to begin to change the way that disabilities are looked into. The first is through education and awareness about what a disability is. There are several that are promoting the politically correct terms which should be used, such as intellectual disability instead of mental retardation. Since the idea of experience comes from the main definitions, it requires a change in the main definitions to soften the stereotypes that are expressed within society. This is followed by the belief that there need to be standards so those with disabilities have opportunities and aren’t discriminated against in terms of experience. Employment regulations, equal opportunity acts and providing various means of educating society about disabilities are some of the actions which legislation has continued to take to alter the social thought process against disabilities (Zhang, 2007). Strengths and Weaknesses of Defining Disability There are several strengths and weaknesses to the models, legislative acts and the voices which are being heard in society. However, these are still not determining the experiences of those with disabilities, showing that the main argument by Crow still persists within society. The models which are used, both socially and through medical implications, carry definitions which can be interpreted and defined by those in society. It is the gap of information and knowledge that creates the main problems with understanding what a disability is and what is incorporated into the experiences one has. If the root of understanding how disability is defined by society is looked into, then there will be the ability to further educate those who are judging experience according to the social stigma. The strengths that are incorporated into the medical model of defining disability are the incorporation of factual information from observation. It is noted through the medical model that being disabled means that there is one area or component that has alternative functioning from the rest of the body and which leads to the disability. The medical model shows how one who is disabled goes through a physiological process of not being able to function with normal operations for a mental or physical disorder. There is also the understanding through this scientific terms and processes that the disability can incorporate a wide range of problems and isn’t inclusive of the complete functioning of the individual. While the medical model is able to provide consistent information that is proven through observation, there are also gaps in being able to define what a disability is from both the process and the outline of what one looks into when seeing a disability. Those in society are then able to create their own interpretations, responses and stereotypes according to the definition. The ability to decipher what it means to have a lack of functioning can be combined with the expected lack of experiences that one is capable of having at a social level. From the medical model, there is a large gap of what it means to be disabled as well as what should or shouldn’t be incorporated into this general model. Those who are in society then have the ability to interpret and stereotype the medical terms according to their own recognition of one who is disabled. Other aspects which relate to the medical model are based on the lack of understanding of specific types of disabilities. For instance, being disabled with intellectual disabilities is different than a physical alteration which one may have. There are also degrees of disabilities that one may suffer from. These degrees may not be recognized by society because of the lack of understanding and information available. The medical terms will define this as “partial” or “incomplete” in terms of disability. However, this isn’t included in the main definitions and terms of the medical model. The assumption which is then made in society is that all experiences with disabilities are the same. When one doesn’t have the functioning within their body, there isn’t the ability to have any of the similar experiences of others that are in society. This leads to incapability of recognizing what one may experience. The lack of understanding and knowledge is one which comes from the gap of education. This is not only based on the medical interpretations. The medical model is based only on observation and experience from the patients and clients that are disabled and which have this experience. The lack and limits then come from the need to work with and change the understanding of those that are disabled. This further creates a gap by the family that has a different experience and society which is looking at the experiences and creating their own interpretations. The problem which is occurring is one which is not allowing the voice of those who are disabled to speak and show the experiences which may exist at a different level than what is expected from society. The result is that those with disabilities are immediately defined according to the lack of education, misinterpretations of the medical model and the social understanding which may be relating to stressful situations or gaps of education with their personal experiences. At the same time, those with disabilities carry an instant label that doesn’t provide room to lessen the gap and change the several misinterpretations in society. The several levels of stereotypes and discrimination shows that there are several problems rooted in the misinterpretations of experience and the lack of definition of what it means to be disabled. This is taking place politically, socially and from the medical terms that aren’t able to correctly define or interpret what is occurring. The result is that the attitudes and behaviors of those in society create misinterpretations of the experiences one has when they are disabled and the discrimination which occurs because of the misunderstandings. The result from all three levels of misinterpretation moves into the concept of normative expectations being altered, which means that the experience of one who is disabled is reliant on them being unhealthy, unable to participate in general activities and a lack of social recognition among mainstream society (Krahn et al, 2006). Conclusion The term disability is one which is often misinterpreted through social models, specifically because of the lack of understanding which the term holds. The dimensions of complexities include interpretations of the definition, relations to the medical model and the stigma which is created politically and socially factor into the main problem of defining disability. According to Crow, the terms and social model of disability doesn’t factor in the reality of experiences which are held by those in society. The result is a gap of understanding and the inability to create similar experiences with those who have a disability. References Barton, Len. (2006). Overcoming Disabled Barriers: 18 Years of Disability and Society. Canada: Taylor and Francis Group. Crow, Liz. (1996). “Including All of Our Lives: Renewing the Social Model of Disability.” Exploring the Divide Barnes, Colin, Geof Mercer (ed). Leeds: The Disability Press. Krahn, Gloria, Michelle Putnam, Charles Drum, Laurie Powers. (2006). “Disabilities and Health: Toward a National Agenda for Research.” Journal of Disability Policy Studies 17 (1). Shalock, R, Ruth Luckasson, Karrie Shogren. (2007). “The Renaming of Mental Retardation: Understanding the Change to the Term Intellectual Disability.” Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 45 (2). Thornicroft, Graham, Diana Rose. (2007). “Stigma: Ignorance, Prejudice or Discrimination?” The British Journal of Psychiatry (190). Walsh, Froma. (2006). Strengthening Family Resilience. New York: Guiliford Publications. Zhang, Eric. (2007). “Employment of People with Disabilities: Internationalist Standards and Domestic Legislation in China.” International Journal of Law and Commerce (517). Read More