Fixing Society Not People

    The medical and biopsychosocial models are foundational frameworks for understanding disability. These models significantly influence how society responds to individuals with both visible and invisible impairments. The medical model primarily emphasizes diagnosis, treatment, and care plans aimed at "fixing" the individual's condition. This approach often frames disabilities as abnormalities requiring intervention or management. While the medical model has contributed to significant medical advancements, it can also reduce individuals to their diagnoses, focusing on limitations rather than capabilities and potentially diminishing their sense of self-worth. In contrast, the biopsychosocial model offers a more inclusive perspective by considering social, environmental, and biological factors in understanding and addressing disability. This model shifts the focus from inherent deficits to external barriers that limit participation. Recognizing these models illustrates the evolution of societal perspectives and highlights the ongoing need for a more comprehensive understanding of disability as a societal, rather than solely individual, issue.

    This understanding underscores the importance of developing educational systems that inform people about disabilities as differences rather than conditions requiring a "fix." Societal limitations often exacerbate the impact of physical or intellectual impairments. Rather than focusing on "fixing" individuals, we should prioritize accommodation and recognize that a cure is not necessary for disability. This approach aligns with the biopsychosocial model, which emphasizes that environmental and societal factors create barriers, not the impairment itself. Implementing universal design principles can transform environments from exclusive to inclusive, enabling broader participation. Personally, I can contribute by addressing misconceptions in everyday conversations, prompting others to consider whether barriers stem from the environment rather than the individual. For example, asking, "What if the issue is not the person, but the environment?" encourages reflection on the true source of limitations. The CDC Disability Inclusion Strategies provide guidance on respectful communication, such as: "Emphasize abilities, not limitations, do not portray people with disabilities as inspirational only because of their disability, avoid language that implies negative stereotypes, and do not use language that suggests the lack of something." The CDC aims to make these strategies widely accessible to foster respect for people with disabilities. Many individuals may unintentionally cause harm through language or assumptions. Adopting these strategies can improve communication and promote inclusion. Ultimately, society must continually evaluate how to create a more equitable world for people with disabilities.
    Overall, we need to shift away from just the medical model and focus on the biopsychosocial model. This movement will help represent more inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities. By educating others on correct language on representation, language, and actions that foster a deeper understanding that disability can not be fixed, but society can. Removing these barriers and challenging the biases people have will help create the diversity that is needed to create fewer societal limitations.  
Watch Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act | American Experience | Official Site | PBS

References

CDC. (2025a, April 3). Disability inclusion strategies. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/disability-inclusion/strategies/index.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IPC Values Dilemma

Image
       The decision made by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to ban the Russian and Belarusian National Paralympic Committees (NPC) has sparked a great debate about fairness and inclusion and how the sport plays a role in politics. The IPC promotes courage, determination, and equality. Whether the ban is in line with the IPC values, it can be taken both ways, but which way is the right way? It can be interpreted in different ways depending on your own personal values.        In my opinion, the IPC is not making the right decision. I think it conflicts with their own values that they hold, and banning them does not make them look like a well-rounded committee. Paralympic athletes already go through many mental and physical behaviors. When the IPC excludes them from the Paralympics, it can be seen as more of a punishment. These athletes have no real effect on the government, so the decisions that the IPC makes should not include ban...
Read more

My Relationship to Disability

       Growing up in a small town, I was not exposed to people with disabilities at a young age. Once I was in high school, I had gained a small amount of exposure to people with disabilities; this included the Special Olympics club I was in, which helped host events for kids with disabilities, like baseball games, kickball, occasionally eating lunch with them, and a prom! This gave me an idea of what it is like, then once I got into college, I was exposed to a whole new world. My Experience     One specific experience that helped me learn more about disabilities was in my sophomore year of college, in my Ethics and Teamwork class. In this class, we were required to complete a service learning experience as teams. For my service learning, I chose to go to The Arc, and developing and implementing this service-learning project as a team was a very engaging experience. A lot was learned along the way; I learned a lot about my team and how helping the com...
Read more

The True Meaning Of "Para"

Image
         The Olympics, to me, have always just been athletes competing for a medal. Whenever I have watched the Olympics and Paralympics, I have always thought that these names were different due to one displaying people with physical disabilities competing and the other displaying people with no physical issues. The truth is, the only noticeable difference is in what we can physically see with our own eyes. It is similar to confirmation bias, which is when you believe what you see, and see what you believe. I thought that para was associated with the physical disability just by what I saw, but in reality, it was completely different.    Once I learned that the true meaning of "para" was beside. This meant that the Paralympics are associated directly with the Olympics. Originally, I thought para meant paraplegic, meaning someone losing function or sensory in a lower area of their body. The whole point of the Paralympics is so that even though the athl...
Read more