It shapes much of the medical, social and educational treatment of disabled people. It also shapes much of the environments for example the way transport system, buildings and institutions are built and organised.
According to Phil Miller, Chair of OTT the "Medical Model" of disability assumes that disability is seen as being located with in an individual and thus being their problem. The answer to the problem of disability, following such thinking, is to "cure" the impaired individual. Thus restoring them to normality and allowing them to fit back into society. .
An article "The Disabled have rights but so do the rest of us", in the Daily Telegraph, on 24 May 1994 vividly illustrates the thinking behind the medical model, "The only real remedy for disability is a complete cure. Otherwise the best we can do is push many small advantages the disabled person's way, in the hope that their cumulative effect will make up for the original big disadvantage". .
In this view equality for disabled simply does not have any worth it is not an option. The article continues: To call that equality, however is to misuse the language. In place of legs we offer wheels the truth is that the disabled cannot manage without the sympathy, indeed the protection, of the rest of society, and they have been have seriously misled if they think otherwise".
The experts on disability are clearly the medical professionals, aided by occupations such as, social workers, occupational therapists, special equipment advisors etc. Under the approach of the "Medical Model" the focus is on the altering (by surgery if need be) the disabled person to remould them to fit an unchanging and unsympathetic society.
The social oppression model assumes that a person cannot carry out an activity due to barriers present in society and/or lack of appropriate support. It assumes that if these, barriers are removed and support is offered then disability can be reduced.
