Will try to address as what defines a disability, there are so many different models and the ones listed here are only the views of Forward MID unless referenced.
Disability
What are disabilities?
Disabilities fall into three categories, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and people with a mental health difficulties. Our group is for people with physical disabilities.
How is a physical disability legally defined?
Equality and Human Rights Commission state (2007).
The Disability Discrimination Act says a disabled person is someone with
‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse
effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. Examples include
cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and heart conditions; hearing or sight
impairments, or a significant mobility difficulty; and mental health conditions
or learning difficulties. People in these circumstances and some others
(such as people with a facial disfigurement) are likely to have rights under the
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) to protect them from discrimination. However, only the courts can say if a
particular individual is defined as disabled under the legislation.
The Open University(2006), in common with many other organisations, expresses the view that there
are two models of disability. The Medical Model and the Social Model.
The medical model
Under the medical model, disabled people are defined by their illness or medical condition.The medical model
promotes the view of a disabled person as dependent and needing to be cured or cared for, and it justifies
the way in which disabled people have been systematically excluded from society. The disabled person is
the problem, not society. Control resides firmly with professionals; choices for the individual are limited to
the options provided and approved by the 'helping' expert.
The social model
The social model has been developed by disabled people in response to the medical model and the impact it
has had on their lives. Under the social model, disability is caused by the society in which we live and is not
the ‘fault’ of an individual disabled person, or an inevitable consequence of their limitations. Disability is the
product of the physical, organisational and attitudinal barriers present within society, which lead to discrimination. The removal of discrimination requires a change of approach and thinking in the way in which society is organised.
Can all disabilities be seen?
No not all disabilities can be seen, most people with disabilities walk amongst us without any outward sign of a disability. It is a fact that a lot of people do not know they have a disability.
If I acquire an impairment which disables me, who can I contact for information on my specific disability?
The links above are for help with impairments and their respective websites. They are laid out alaphbeticly by name.
