Factors Affecting the Identity of People with Disabilities

Introduction

Social exclusion is a major issue of concern in the society. For people with disabilities, the challenge of social exclusion is heightened as compared to other population groups. According to Oliver (2013), social exclusion of people with disabilities is informed by the attitudes and behaviours that undermine their capacity to fully contribute to the society. In agreement, Retief and Letšosa (2018) write that it is how people perceive disabled people, and which leads to the exclusion of people with disabilities. There are various models of disability that tend to explain the factors that shape the identity of people with disabilities. The aim of this essay is to explore such models with an aim of understanding the factors that affect the identity of people living with disabilities, offering insights into psychology dissertation help for further research.

The moral or religious model

The moral/religious model portrays disability as an act of God. However, people have different understandings of this model, which affects their perception of disabled people. Some religions regard disability as a punishment from God for a particular sin committed by the person with a disability (Retief and Letšosa 2018). This notion has had a devastating effect on the thinking of followers of such faith since preachers equate some forms of disability with human sin, spiritual ineptitude, and evil spirits. The followers of such religions tend to avoid people with disabilities because they believe they are sinners. In some cases, it is not only the sin of an individual that is associated with his/her disability but also that of their parents or ancestors (Mackelprang et al. 2016). The negative effect of this perception is that the individual and his/her family are seen as sinners leading to social exclusion of the entire family.

Another form of the religious/moral model is the notion that disabilities are a test of faith or a chance to reconcile with God. According to Oliver (2013), God can select a family or an individual to receive a disability so that they can be redeemed through endurance and resilience. When a person receives physical healing, he/she is said to have passed the test of faith. If the person does not receive physical healing, he/she is said to lack faith in God and therefore excluded from the family of believers. In other religions, disability is regarded as a curse thus associated with shame on an individual and his/her family which eventually leads to exclusion.

The medical model

The medical model portrays disability as a disease. From the lens of this model, Jackson (2018) defines disability as a defect or failure in the body system thus inherently pathological and abnormal. Some authors refer the medical model as the personal tragedy model thus regards disability as a pitiable condition in that it is objectively bad. On the other hand, Retief and Letšosa (2018) write that people with disabilities deviate from what is normal thus do not compare with others in the society. In the same vein, Mackelprang et al. (2016) write that the medical model projects people with disabilities inferior to others in the society. As a result, people with disabilities are identified as problems to be solved in that the limitation associated with the person’s disability needs to be treated. Societies that adhere to the medical model of disability believe that people with disabilities should play the sick role thus not included in social activities.

The social model

The social model portrays disability as a socially constructed phenomenon. Oliver (2013) observes that people with disabilities are disabled by the very society they live in as well as the structures and attitudes of the society. Viewed through the lens of the social model, design of workplaces and factories, public transport systems, schools and infrastructure are not sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities, which challenges accessibility outcomes. Therefore, these structures limit the ability of people with disabilities, which makes them different from others in the society.

From a different perspective, Jackson (2018) writes that the social model means that disability arises from barriers within a discriminating and oppressive society rather than impairment. This implies that people with disabilities compare to others in the society only that the available structures disabled them hindering their achievement. The negative consequence is that the society has ended up perceiving people with disabilities as objects of people instead of dismantling the oppressive structures.

The economic model

The economic model portrays disability as a challenge to productivity. According to Retief and Letšosa (2018), impairment has various disabling effects of an individual’s capabilities particularly on labour and employment. The economic model acknowledges the role of the disabling effects of impairment thus advocates for the need to respect and accommodate people with disabilities. These concerns do not always yield positively are they create an impression that a person with disability has limited ability to work and contribute to the economy. Mackelprang et al. (2016) criticise the economic model of disability for framing disability in terms of cost-benefit analysis which implies that people with disability are more of a burden to the society. As a result, people with disabilities are dehumanised and seen as people with some missing parts that otherwise would have positively contributed to the economy.

The charity model

The charity model heightens the notion that people with disabilities are vulnerable thus needing protection and care. This viewpoint significantly shaped how and where institutions for vulnerable people were constructed. In UK, US, and Australia, asylums for the mentally ill were often large, containing cavernous dormitories, imposing, and sited several miles away from town centres. Similarly, the schools for the blind and deaf are segregated and not better located basing on the nearby community services. According to Jackson (2018), such structures are a clear-built manifestation that people with disabilities are vulnerable needing protection. This segregation of institutions for people with disabilities is an indication that the built environment for the general population is inaccessible for people with disabilities. As a result, the general population perceives people with disability as persons who require care away from the built environment thus are often taken to care institutions away from home. Even though this institutionalisation notion has been de-institutionalised over time, people with disabilities have a low ability accessing other built environments owing to insensitive designs (Retief & Letšosa 2018). This supports the belief that the charity model invisibly contributes to exclusion of people with disability.

Conclusion

Despite the numerous efforts directed towards social inclusion of people with disabilities, there are several factors shaping the identity of disabled persons which remains a challenge impeding progress. The factors affecting the identity of people with disabilities are better explained through the models of disability. These models include the moral/religious model, the medical model, the social model, the economic model, and the charity model. Each of these models differently explains how people with disabilities differ from the general population. These perceived differences are the factors that shape the identity of people with disabilities. Therefore, theorists need to come up with models that challenge the existing ones for people with disabilities to acquire a more positive identity.

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References

Jackson, M., 2018. Models of Disability and Human Rights: Informing the Improvement of Built Environment Accessibility for People with Disability at Neighborhood Scale?. Laws, 7(1), p.10.

Mackelprang, R.W., Salsgiver, R.O. and Salsgiver, R., 2016. Disability: A diversity model approach in human service practice. Oxford University Press.

Oliver, M., 2013. The social model of disability: Thirty years on. Disability & society, 28(7), pp.1024-1026.

Retief, M. and Letšosa, R., 2018. Models of disability: A brief overview. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 74(1), p.1-9.