Evolution of the Disability Concept

Theoretically, there are four historical models of disability, namely: (a) the moral model, the oldest model, which regards disability as the result of sin and a cause for shame for the family; (b) the medical model, which considers disability as a sickness that must be “cured” through sustained medical intervention;[1] (c) the rehabilitation model, which regards persons with disabilities as in need for institutionalization and rehabilitation services in order to be reintegrated in society; and (d) the  social model, which started to gain weight under the disability-rights movement in the 1960s. This last model regards disability as a normal aspect of life, arguing that most people will experience some form of disability at one point of their lives. It claims that disability is not an individual attribute but a blend of conditions, many of which are caused by the inability of society to facilitate the interaction of persons with disabilities with their environment. According to this model, discrimination is often the cause of predicaments experienced by persons with disabilities rather than their own impairments. Consequently, the management of disability concerns is the responsibility of the society, requiring attitudinal and political actions in order to safeguard the rights of persons of disabilities and ensure their full integration in all aspects of social life.[2]

The medical and rehabilitation models have been widely criticized as too simplistic and subjective. Some disability rights groups argue that the adoption of these models affects the selection criteria by which persons with disabilities are entitled to social assistance. Others claim that they cause lower economic activity rates among persons with disabilities who want to work but fear losing their disability insurance benefits. The International Year of the Disabled Person (1981) helped the transition from the conventional medical assistance model to a progressive social one by emphasizing that social attitudes are the major barrier to the full participation and equality of persons with disabilities.