2.2 Social model of disability

This model was introduced in 1983 by the disability rights activist and academic Mike Oliver, a wheelchair user himself, and his colleagues. In their book ‘Social Work with Disabled People’ they redirect the focus from personal limitations to societal barriers; examples used a few times in their book demonstrate structural barriers, such as the lack of wheelchair ramps. This example is still used to demonstrate the environmental barriers which impede disabled people rather than the individual’s impairments themselves (medical model). This shows that societal barriers hinder inclusion, and it is the society that construes disabilities.

The social model recognises people with disabilities as a historically oppressed minority group, requiring a universal transformation by understanding disability as a societal matter and emphasising collective solutions. The model focuses on what ‘the person needs’; and today, the social model is endorsed by the UK Government Equalities Office which recommends all government departments to use it.

The social model promotes a more inclusive society – and this is something we should all advocate for.