Today’s post by Surya Joseph, delves into the various models through which society perceives disability and how that plays a big role in empowering or disempowering the disabled. She described the vast differences in the approaches through the examples of India and the U.S.
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Raised in India, I viewed disability as a glaring deficit, rendering individuals incapable of leading fulfilling lives. Public spaces were often inaccessible, healthcare services lacking, education below par, employment opportunities scarce, and support systems inadequate. Differently-abled individuals seemed destined to lead substandard lives, drenched in pity or as objects against whom normal people could measure their privilege.
However, my perspective underwent a profound transformation during my visit to the USA as a young adult. I was struck by numerous cultural differences, one of which was my inability to view disabled individuals differently. In the USA, they were simply ordinary people going about their daily routines, highlighting how much easier it was for differently-abled individuals to live independently and fully in a system that made all facilities accessible to everyone. I came to realize that it was not the differently-abled who were disabled, it was our society that disabled them.
What caused such a drastic change in my mental makeup? Thinking back, I realize that it seemed like I had travelled through a portal that carried me from a world based on the medical and charity models of disability to a new world expounding the social and rights-based models of disability.
The medical model of disability has historically shaped global thinking, legislation, and policy. In this model, medical professionals defined normal in terms of biology and ability. Disabled people were viewed as dependants that needed “fixing”. Emphasis was placed on the disability rather than the systems and support structures needed to lead complete lives. This led to social degradation in the way people viewed the disabled and laws were framed. For example, in India, one of the conditions under which a foetus may be aborted is if it is seriously handicapped with physical or mental abnormalities. Under such laws, even the differently-abled unborn are viewed as sub-human.
The charity model portrays individuals with disabilities as victims and unproductive members of society, dependent on charity and benevolence rather than equal opportunities. Victims are excluded from productive society and treated as passive recipients of charity. This can provide support but fosters a sense of dependency ultimately diminishing the potential economic contributions of both the dependent person and their caregiver.
The social model represents a significant paradigm shift from the earlier models. It aims to make society inclusive and breaks barriers that are social, institutional, economic, and political. Disability is viewed as a result of the environment and societal structures that fail to accommodate diverse needs and the disabled are viewed as differently-abled. It emphasizes inclusivity, accessibility, and equal opportunities.
The rights-based model builds on the social model and focuses on equity and rights. It is based on the principle that human rights are unalienable rights that are applicable and indivisible. In this approach, differently-abled people are viewed as the central actors in their own lives, as decision-makers, citizens, and rights-holders.
As awareness on the differently-abled shifts, from the entrenched medical to the rights-based model, developing nations too must change in thinking, attitudes, policy-making and systems towards the differently-abled. Disability can be viewed through many lenses. Disability intersecting with gender, race, class, age. Disability as a function of time and place, for example, an able senior citizen feeling disabled in the digital world. In truth, the differently-abled are not disabled; it is our mindset that remains disabled. Nature has crafted each person uniquely, emphasizing that there is no standard “perfect” human being. Each person’s existence and contribution to society is inherently unique.
In the end, the only true disability in life is one’s attitude.
This post is a part of “International Day of Persons with Disability” blog hop hosted by Sakshi Varma – Tripleamommy. #IDPD2023Bloghop. Access all posts of this blog hop at Championing Diversity, Uniting Voices: Commemorating IDPD Together
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