Unit 12 assignment 2
Enabling individuals with additional needs to face daily challenges
Disability as a Social Construct
Disability and views on disability have changed throughout time. Behaviour was thought to
be based on disability centuries ago, although now disability can be defined through
physical and mental impairments. It is society which decides what is able and what is
disabled. This is seen through the definitions that people have made. By the 1980s and
90s "handicapped" was gradually replaced with "disabled" as a new way of thinking about
disability emerged - called the social model. In previous times disabled people were seen
as inferior and hidden away which shows the increasing awareness they have been given
over time.
Disability is something that prevents some people from doing the things most other people
can do. It is worth considering how common disabilities are and the range of disabilities
that exist within our communities. Disability is the product of economic, environmental and
cultural barriers present within the society, which leads to discrimination. The social
construct is the common shared belief that disabled people can’t do all things able bodied
people can.
The term ‘disability’ is often defined as a physical or mental condition that limits an
individual’s movements, senses or activities. It is society and its institutions who have the
power to construct disability around social expectations of health. Some examples of
disability are brain injury, vision/hearing impairment, etc. Society favors able bodied people
by providing the majority of roads, pavements and buildings being accessible to them and
not in favor of wheelchair users’ (CDC, 2010)
Impairment is defined as a physical or mental defect at the level of a body system or
organ. It is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiologic or anatomic structure or
function. For example, a person who has a problem with their sight has a visual
impairment, if a person was born without a limb or has had a limb removed, they have a
physical impairment. Impairment is the actual condition while a disability is the restriction
of ability caused by the condition.
An impairment is a characteristic, feature or attribute within an individual which is long term
and may or may not be the result of disease, genetics or injury. For example: learning
difficulties, mental illnesses, speech impairments. Impairments neither causes nor justifies
disabilities, however those with impairments are subject to disability. The social model
perspective challenges the attitudes that society has towards impairments and accepting
and accommodating them as an expected incidence of human diversity. (Health
knowledge, 2015)
There is a big difference between impairment and disability, impairment is the functional
limitation with the individual caused by physical, mental or a sensory impairment. Disability
is the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in the normal life of the community on
an equal level with others due to physical and social barriers. An impairment is a medical
condition leading to a disability and the disability is the result of the society. The social
model of disability identifies systemic barriers, negative attitudes and exclusion by society.
While physical, sensory, intellectual or physiological variations may cause functional
Page 1 of 47
,limitation or impairments, these do not have to lead to disability unless society fails to take
account of and include them. (Morephysicaltherapy, 2020)
Dependency is defined as relying on another person, object or routine in order to cope with
daily living activities. (Oxford languages, n.d.)
Disablement is defined as the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of
physical or mental unfitness. For example, the inability to see or hear, lack of mobility or a
learning disability. (Oxford languages, n.d.)
Discrimination is defined as distinguishing differences between things or treating someone
as inferior based on their race, sex, national origin, age or other characteristics. It is
important that health and social care professionals treat all service users equally and
provide the same opportunities for everyone they care for. People must not be
discriminated against because of their disability. (Oxford languages, n.d.)
Discrimination is when an individual is treated without equality or less favorably than other
individuals, due to their appearance, nationality, ethnicity etc. It is crucial that health and
social care professionals do not discriminate against any type of individual just because of
their disability, as it can cause many negative impacts. It is society that has come up with
these labels that we assign to individuals, the way disabilities are considered a social
construct assuming that one type of person is more highly regarded than another.
(Citizen’s advice, 2020)
Social construct of disability
I will be explaining how disability can be perceived as a social construct and how
knowledge and many aspects of the world around us are not real, and that they only exist
because we give them reality through social agreement. For example, disability may not
even exist, however we decide who is able by agreeing to certain criteria. (Scope, n.d.)
A social construct is an idea that has been created which appears natural and obvious and
is accepted by the people of society. An example of worldwide social construct is money.
We think that the money does exist because we touch it and see it however, unless we
agree on what the paper or the coins mean and do, the paper money is just paper, and the
coins are just round shaped metal. (Merriam Webster, 2019)
It could be argued that disability can be viewed as a social construct. Social construct of
disability us the idea that society and its institutions have the power to construct disability
around social expectations of health. It is the idea or notion of any given society that may
not represent reality but appears to be natural and obvious to the people who accept it.
The social construction of disability is the idea that society and its institutions have the
power to construct disability around social expectations of health. This idea argues that
disability is construction based on several localized social expectations. It is something
that exists not in objective reality, but as a result of human interaction. It exists because
humans agree that it exists. In the past, people with specific impairment or additional
needs have been treated as disabled and expected to be dependent on others to fulfil their
daily living activities and social needs. However, recent years this has come to be seen as
a social construct. The social model of disability, which was devised by people with
disabilities, proposes that society should not view individuals as disabled but that there
should be mechanisms in place for people with specific needs to feel equal to people who
Page 2 of 47
,do not have those needs and able to live their lives independently, without relying on
family, friends or carers to assist them with daily living tasks. (Scope, n.d.)
The Equality Act 2010 is a legal framework to protect the rights of all individuals and
advance equality of opportunity for all. When we look at disabilities not as
individual/medical issue, but as one that society has created, or at the very least
contributed to, then we gain a different perspective. For instance, many individuals who
are deaf do not view the inability to hear as a disability. While this doesn’t apply to all, and
is a generalization, many in the deaf community see sign language as nothing more than
an alternative form of communication; it is societies reliance on sounds and lack of
inclusion that puts them at a disadvantage in certain situations. (Legislation, 2021)
Dependency implies the inability to do things for oneself and consequently the reliance
upon others to carry out tasks of everyday life. Conversely, independence suggests that
the individual needs no assistance form anyone else. In reality, no one in a modern
industrial society is completely independent: we live in a state of mutual interdependence.
The dependence of disabled people therefore is not a feature which marks them out as
different in kind from the rest of the population but different in degree. Disability is not
merely a result of disability but can be imposed by society through devaluation and
segregation of people who deviate from physical norms. The idea of dependency has been
used to socially construct and label the problem of disability. (Merriam webster, 2019)
The social construct of disability says that a phenomenon is socially constructed and
doesn’t deny its existence. Rather, the term emphasizes that society or groups within a
society agree to attribute certain meanings to the phenomenon. This means that the same
thing (disability) means different things to different people in different places and at
different points in history. In the UK, society today treats impaired people with the
approach that believes that being disabled stops them from functioning normally but there
is evidence suggesting disability cannot be objectively and medically defined. In the past,
disability was misunderstood because there was very little information on people with
disabilities, from this and research, poor medical care often resulted in early death for
people with impairments which is easily managed today. (Disability talent, 2018)
Models of disability
Our identity is created by interactions with other people and our reactions to the
expectations of society. We have constructed the perception of disabilities through two
models: the medical model and the social model.
There are two models of disability: medical and social model. Models of disability are tools
for defining impairment and ultimately for providing a basis upon which government and
society can devise strategies for meeting the needs of disabled people. So, the models of
disabilities are essentially devised by people about other people. They provide an insight
into the attitudes, conceptions and prejudices of the former and how they impact on the
latter. From this, the models reveal the ways in which our society provides limits and
access to work, good, services, economic influence and political power for people with
disabilities. (Centre for resolution, 2019)
The medical model looks at a person’s impairment and tries to treat it with medication and
other specialist interventions, such as surgery. The social model was devised by disabled
people and views disability as being caused by the way society is organised. It aims to find
Page 3 of 47
, ways of removing barriers that restrict life choices or disabled people so that they can live
independently. (Pearsonschoolsandfecolleges, 2020)
This is in contrast to the medical model of disability which tends to believe that curing or at
least managing illness or disability revolves around identifying the illness or disability from
an in-depth clinical perspective. The medical model also believes that a society invests
resources in health care and related services in an attempt to cure disabilities medically, to
allow a person with a disability a more ‘normal’ life.
The medical model focuses on the individual’s condition and tries to treat it with medication
and other specialist interventions, such as surgery. Although, when looking at disabilities
not as an individual/medical issue, but as one that society has created, many tend to gain
a different perspective. For example, when using the medical model, there are very few
solutions to help wheelchair users climb stairs, which may unfortunately exclude them from
many crucial and leisurely activities. Therefore, it is society that has created barriers by
stopping someone from being able to live in the environment. (Inclusion London, 2019)
However, the social model of disability sees the issue of disability as a socially created
problem. We have created a society that limits wheelchair users like Rebecca, that makes
them unable. This model aims to find ways of removing barriers that restrict lifestyle
choices for disabled people, so that they gain the ability to live independently. For
example, a wheelchair user may require a lift being installed that meets accessibility
standards, so they can access any building without having to ask for assistance. This may
also mean that they may need a ramp added to the entrance, which may enable them to
go into any building they require, as it will be wheelchair friendly. (Scope, n.d.)
In relation to this, the social model of disability states that while people may have
impairments of one kind or another, it is society that disables them, through its attitudes
and practices. The term ‘impairment' is used to describe an individual who no longer has
function in one part of their body. For example, if someone has a cognitive impairment,
society may label them as being disabled. The tests we use to determine cognition are
also created by people who judge what is able and what is not. (Disabled world, 2019)
Barriers
Economic barrier- This barrier begins with school and continues throughout the individual's
entire career. Society does not provide the same opportunities to people with impairments
as opposed to individuals without impairments in terms of how much income they earn in
their lifetime and what access they have to resources. (King’s fund, 2020)
Environmental barrier- The environment disables impaired individuals' by not being
accessible enough for them to move, function and communicate as effectively as people
without disabilities. A majority of the environment is designed for non-impaired individuals
and non-impaired living. Examples: cinemas are not designed for those who having
hearing impairments or visual impairments but are designed for those without these
impairments. (Communication theory, n.d.)
There are five broad types of environmental barriers:
Physical barriers: These can be caused by buildings, stairs, doorways, or even the
weather or climate. For example, how accessible is your home, work or public places?
Attitude barriers: these barriers deal with prejudice and discrimination. Example:
Page 4 of 47
Enabling individuals with additional needs to face daily challenges
Disability as a Social Construct
Disability and views on disability have changed throughout time. Behaviour was thought to
be based on disability centuries ago, although now disability can be defined through
physical and mental impairments. It is society which decides what is able and what is
disabled. This is seen through the definitions that people have made. By the 1980s and
90s "handicapped" was gradually replaced with "disabled" as a new way of thinking about
disability emerged - called the social model. In previous times disabled people were seen
as inferior and hidden away which shows the increasing awareness they have been given
over time.
Disability is something that prevents some people from doing the things most other people
can do. It is worth considering how common disabilities are and the range of disabilities
that exist within our communities. Disability is the product of economic, environmental and
cultural barriers present within the society, which leads to discrimination. The social
construct is the common shared belief that disabled people can’t do all things able bodied
people can.
The term ‘disability’ is often defined as a physical or mental condition that limits an
individual’s movements, senses or activities. It is society and its institutions who have the
power to construct disability around social expectations of health. Some examples of
disability are brain injury, vision/hearing impairment, etc. Society favors able bodied people
by providing the majority of roads, pavements and buildings being accessible to them and
not in favor of wheelchair users’ (CDC, 2010)
Impairment is defined as a physical or mental defect at the level of a body system or
organ. It is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiologic or anatomic structure or
function. For example, a person who has a problem with their sight has a visual
impairment, if a person was born without a limb or has had a limb removed, they have a
physical impairment. Impairment is the actual condition while a disability is the restriction
of ability caused by the condition.
An impairment is a characteristic, feature or attribute within an individual which is long term
and may or may not be the result of disease, genetics or injury. For example: learning
difficulties, mental illnesses, speech impairments. Impairments neither causes nor justifies
disabilities, however those with impairments are subject to disability. The social model
perspective challenges the attitudes that society has towards impairments and accepting
and accommodating them as an expected incidence of human diversity. (Health
knowledge, 2015)
There is a big difference between impairment and disability, impairment is the functional
limitation with the individual caused by physical, mental or a sensory impairment. Disability
is the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in the normal life of the community on
an equal level with others due to physical and social barriers. An impairment is a medical
condition leading to a disability and the disability is the result of the society. The social
model of disability identifies systemic barriers, negative attitudes and exclusion by society.
While physical, sensory, intellectual or physiological variations may cause functional
Page 1 of 47
,limitation or impairments, these do not have to lead to disability unless society fails to take
account of and include them. (Morephysicaltherapy, 2020)
Dependency is defined as relying on another person, object or routine in order to cope with
daily living activities. (Oxford languages, n.d.)
Disablement is defined as the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of
physical or mental unfitness. For example, the inability to see or hear, lack of mobility or a
learning disability. (Oxford languages, n.d.)
Discrimination is defined as distinguishing differences between things or treating someone
as inferior based on their race, sex, national origin, age or other characteristics. It is
important that health and social care professionals treat all service users equally and
provide the same opportunities for everyone they care for. People must not be
discriminated against because of their disability. (Oxford languages, n.d.)
Discrimination is when an individual is treated without equality or less favorably than other
individuals, due to their appearance, nationality, ethnicity etc. It is crucial that health and
social care professionals do not discriminate against any type of individual just because of
their disability, as it can cause many negative impacts. It is society that has come up with
these labels that we assign to individuals, the way disabilities are considered a social
construct assuming that one type of person is more highly regarded than another.
(Citizen’s advice, 2020)
Social construct of disability
I will be explaining how disability can be perceived as a social construct and how
knowledge and many aspects of the world around us are not real, and that they only exist
because we give them reality through social agreement. For example, disability may not
even exist, however we decide who is able by agreeing to certain criteria. (Scope, n.d.)
A social construct is an idea that has been created which appears natural and obvious and
is accepted by the people of society. An example of worldwide social construct is money.
We think that the money does exist because we touch it and see it however, unless we
agree on what the paper or the coins mean and do, the paper money is just paper, and the
coins are just round shaped metal. (Merriam Webster, 2019)
It could be argued that disability can be viewed as a social construct. Social construct of
disability us the idea that society and its institutions have the power to construct disability
around social expectations of health. It is the idea or notion of any given society that may
not represent reality but appears to be natural and obvious to the people who accept it.
The social construction of disability is the idea that society and its institutions have the
power to construct disability around social expectations of health. This idea argues that
disability is construction based on several localized social expectations. It is something
that exists not in objective reality, but as a result of human interaction. It exists because
humans agree that it exists. In the past, people with specific impairment or additional
needs have been treated as disabled and expected to be dependent on others to fulfil their
daily living activities and social needs. However, recent years this has come to be seen as
a social construct. The social model of disability, which was devised by people with
disabilities, proposes that society should not view individuals as disabled but that there
should be mechanisms in place for people with specific needs to feel equal to people who
Page 2 of 47
,do not have those needs and able to live their lives independently, without relying on
family, friends or carers to assist them with daily living tasks. (Scope, n.d.)
The Equality Act 2010 is a legal framework to protect the rights of all individuals and
advance equality of opportunity for all. When we look at disabilities not as
individual/medical issue, but as one that society has created, or at the very least
contributed to, then we gain a different perspective. For instance, many individuals who
are deaf do not view the inability to hear as a disability. While this doesn’t apply to all, and
is a generalization, many in the deaf community see sign language as nothing more than
an alternative form of communication; it is societies reliance on sounds and lack of
inclusion that puts them at a disadvantage in certain situations. (Legislation, 2021)
Dependency implies the inability to do things for oneself and consequently the reliance
upon others to carry out tasks of everyday life. Conversely, independence suggests that
the individual needs no assistance form anyone else. In reality, no one in a modern
industrial society is completely independent: we live in a state of mutual interdependence.
The dependence of disabled people therefore is not a feature which marks them out as
different in kind from the rest of the population but different in degree. Disability is not
merely a result of disability but can be imposed by society through devaluation and
segregation of people who deviate from physical norms. The idea of dependency has been
used to socially construct and label the problem of disability. (Merriam webster, 2019)
The social construct of disability says that a phenomenon is socially constructed and
doesn’t deny its existence. Rather, the term emphasizes that society or groups within a
society agree to attribute certain meanings to the phenomenon. This means that the same
thing (disability) means different things to different people in different places and at
different points in history. In the UK, society today treats impaired people with the
approach that believes that being disabled stops them from functioning normally but there
is evidence suggesting disability cannot be objectively and medically defined. In the past,
disability was misunderstood because there was very little information on people with
disabilities, from this and research, poor medical care often resulted in early death for
people with impairments which is easily managed today. (Disability talent, 2018)
Models of disability
Our identity is created by interactions with other people and our reactions to the
expectations of society. We have constructed the perception of disabilities through two
models: the medical model and the social model.
There are two models of disability: medical and social model. Models of disability are tools
for defining impairment and ultimately for providing a basis upon which government and
society can devise strategies for meeting the needs of disabled people. So, the models of
disabilities are essentially devised by people about other people. They provide an insight
into the attitudes, conceptions and prejudices of the former and how they impact on the
latter. From this, the models reveal the ways in which our society provides limits and
access to work, good, services, economic influence and political power for people with
disabilities. (Centre for resolution, 2019)
The medical model looks at a person’s impairment and tries to treat it with medication and
other specialist interventions, such as surgery. The social model was devised by disabled
people and views disability as being caused by the way society is organised. It aims to find
Page 3 of 47
, ways of removing barriers that restrict life choices or disabled people so that they can live
independently. (Pearsonschoolsandfecolleges, 2020)
This is in contrast to the medical model of disability which tends to believe that curing or at
least managing illness or disability revolves around identifying the illness or disability from
an in-depth clinical perspective. The medical model also believes that a society invests
resources in health care and related services in an attempt to cure disabilities medically, to
allow a person with a disability a more ‘normal’ life.
The medical model focuses on the individual’s condition and tries to treat it with medication
and other specialist interventions, such as surgery. Although, when looking at disabilities
not as an individual/medical issue, but as one that society has created, many tend to gain
a different perspective. For example, when using the medical model, there are very few
solutions to help wheelchair users climb stairs, which may unfortunately exclude them from
many crucial and leisurely activities. Therefore, it is society that has created barriers by
stopping someone from being able to live in the environment. (Inclusion London, 2019)
However, the social model of disability sees the issue of disability as a socially created
problem. We have created a society that limits wheelchair users like Rebecca, that makes
them unable. This model aims to find ways of removing barriers that restrict lifestyle
choices for disabled people, so that they gain the ability to live independently. For
example, a wheelchair user may require a lift being installed that meets accessibility
standards, so they can access any building without having to ask for assistance. This may
also mean that they may need a ramp added to the entrance, which may enable them to
go into any building they require, as it will be wheelchair friendly. (Scope, n.d.)
In relation to this, the social model of disability states that while people may have
impairments of one kind or another, it is society that disables them, through its attitudes
and practices. The term ‘impairment' is used to describe an individual who no longer has
function in one part of their body. For example, if someone has a cognitive impairment,
society may label them as being disabled. The tests we use to determine cognition are
also created by people who judge what is able and what is not. (Disabled world, 2019)
Barriers
Economic barrier- This barrier begins with school and continues throughout the individual's
entire career. Society does not provide the same opportunities to people with impairments
as opposed to individuals without impairments in terms of how much income they earn in
their lifetime and what access they have to resources. (King’s fund, 2020)
Environmental barrier- The environment disables impaired individuals' by not being
accessible enough for them to move, function and communicate as effectively as people
without disabilities. A majority of the environment is designed for non-impaired individuals
and non-impaired living. Examples: cinemas are not designed for those who having
hearing impairments or visual impairments but are designed for those without these
impairments. (Communication theory, n.d.)
There are five broad types of environmental barriers:
Physical barriers: These can be caused by buildings, stairs, doorways, or even the
weather or climate. For example, how accessible is your home, work or public places?
Attitude barriers: these barriers deal with prejudice and discrimination. Example:
Page 4 of 47
