It’s a way of thinking about disability, which was created by disabled people, and it views disability as something which is created by society and the ways in which disabled people face barriers that stop them from taking part in society in the same way as non-disabled folk.
Those barriers could be physical (lack of ramp access, visual information formats with no alternatives), attitudinal (negative stereotypical views and prejudice) or systemic (discriminatory policies, laws and practices).
The focus is on how those barriers create an inaccessible society for those with impairments. Through this lens, people become ‘disabled’ when society fails to consider and include everyone intentionally or take into account their individual needs.
The social model doesn’t neatly cover everything, but it’s an awful lot better than the medical model, which seems disability as something ‘defective’ which needs to be ‘fixed’ or the charity model which sees disability as something to be pitied, and often seeks to separate disabled people into spaces where they are ‘cared for’ away from the rest of society.
When I first discovered I was autistic, and that autism is generally considered a disability, I struggled with the concept. I can see now this was mostly because of the stigma and negative connotations that word held for me, based on the way I’d learnt about disability growing up, and, honestly, not seeking to educate myself further on such an important topic.
The social model sits much more comfortably with me, and a lot of the things I struggle with can definitely be explained through this lens. Living in a world designed predominantly by and for neurotypical folks, there are a lot of sensory, communication and social barriers which don’t have to be the way they are.
It doesn’t explain everything for me - I’m looking at you, poor interoception and terrible sleep - and I know it’s a lot more nuanced for many disabled folks who experience chronic pain or other struggles which can’t simply be removed by adapting the environment or attitudes around them.
But as a concept, it gives me a way to view disability in a more neutral way and understand that it’s not something to feel ashamed of.
The social model works well to reframe how we see disability and it’s a shame that it isn’t more widely understood or talked about outside of the disabled community.
Because if it is often the way that society is set up which disables people and limits their ability to fully participate, then we all have a part to play in turning that around and making the world more accessible, accommodating and generally positive for everyone.