Overview

A Socio-Political Model of Disability

A socio-political model of disability is an expression of the behaviors, attitudes and barriers that cause disabling conditions in society. This model explains that attitudes, economic, legal and policy barriers are the real reasons that people with disabilities have difficulties participating as full members of society. While not denying the reality of physical and mental limitations that arise from impairments, this model stresses that these are often used merely as excuses by societies and governments that refuse to remove these barriers that keep people with disabilities from succeeding.

Policies that arise from the socio-political model of disability would not focus upon programs to alter the situation of individuals with disabilities and their families, as much as they would concentrate on altering environmental barriers, changing attitudes and programs that are currently not succeeding, and advancing the human rights and potential of people with disabilities. This cannot be accomplished within the traditional perspective on disability policy as described above.