Understanding how societal barriers—not individual impairments—create disability
The way society understands disability has shifted dramatically over time. For centuries, disability was viewed as a personal or medical issue, something to be treated or cured. In recent decades, however, the social model of disability has emerged as a powerful alternative. Rather than seeing disability as a problem within the individual, the social model argues that barriers in society — physical, systemic, and attitudinal — are what disable people.
In Australia, the social model has influenced policies, education, advocacy, and community initiatives. But it also faces criticism, especially as new perspectives like the ICF model and human rights frameworks evolve. This article explores what the social model is, examples in practice, barriers faced by people with disabilities, and whether the model remains relevant today.
The social model of disability suggests that people are disabled not by their impairments but by societal barriers. Examples include:
A wheelchair user is not disabled by their chair, but by a building without ramps or lifts.
A person with autism may be highly skilled but faces discrimination during interviews due to bias.
A person with hearing impairment is excluded not by their condition, but by the absence of sign language interpreters.
Blind users may be excluded if websites lack screen-reader compatibility.
In each example, the solution is not to "fix" the individual but to remove barriers and redesign environments.
Barriers can take many forms, all of which prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in society:
These barriers combine to create exclusion, even when an individual has the skills and motivation to participate.
The two main models are:
Views disability as a defect or problem within the individual that needs to be cured, treated, or managed. For example, a mobility impairment is seen as a medical condition to be rehabilitated.
Argues that disability results from societal barriers rather than individual impairments. For example, lack of wheelchair access creates the disabling condition, not the impairment itself.
These models are often contrasted, though in practice, both medical care and social inclusion are important.
Language matters, and debates continue around terminology.
"Disabled people." This approach is rooted in the social model, placing disability as part of identity rather than something to be separated.
"People with disabilities." This approach emphasizes individuality first, highlighting the person before the condition.
In Australia, both are used. Advocacy groups like People with Disability Australia (PWDA) often prefer identity-first language, while government and health services lean toward person-first. The best practice is always to ask individuals what they prefer.
Some critics argue the social model is too simplistic because it dismisses the real impact of impairments on daily life. For example, chronic pain or degenerative conditions can create challenges regardless of social barriers.
However, the social model remains influential because it shifts focus from charity and medicalisation to rights and inclusion. Modern approaches, like the human rights model and the ICF model, build on its foundations while addressing limitations.
Systemic barriers are embedded within laws, policies, and institutions. Examples include:
Systemic barriers are often harder to change than physical ones, but advocacy and policy reform are essential to dismantling them.
Environmental barriers include:
Environmental design can either empower or exclude. Cities like Melbourne and Sydney have made progress, but many rural and regional areas in Australia still lack accessible infrastructure.
Structural barriers are broader frameworks of inequality that intersect with disability, such as:
High unemployment among people with disability.
Persistent stigma in media and society.
Underrepresentation in decision-making bodies.
These barriers highlight that disability is not just about physical access but also about power, representation, and systemic inequality.
Ableism refers to discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities. It includes attitudes, practices, and structures that assume non-disabled people are superior.
Examples of ableism include:
Challenging ableism requires education, advocacy, and inclusive practices at all levels of society.
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), developed by the World Health Organization, is a more holistic model. It integrates:
The ICF bridges the gap between the medical and social models, acknowledging both personal and societal dimensions. In Australia, it is increasingly used in policy, research, and service delivery.
The Community Inclusion Initiative in Australia aimed to trial new ways of increasing social participation for people with intellectual disability. Key outcomes included:
This initiative reflected the principles of the social model by tackling barriers and promoting full citizenship.
From a sociological perspective, disability is not only a medical condition but also a social identity shaped by culture, institutions, and power dynamics. Sociologists analyse:
like gender, race, and class.
The sociological view aligns closely with the social model, highlighting that exclusion is socially constructed, not inevitable.
The social model of disability has transformed how Australia and the world view disability. By shifting focus from individual impairments to societal barriers, it has paved the way for inclusion, rights, and equality.
While it may have limitations, especially in addressing the realities of pain and impairment, the social model remains vital. Combined with frameworks like the ICF and the human rights model, it continues to drive progress in dismantling barriers, challenging ableism, and promoting participation.
Ultimately, disability is not a deficit within individuals but a call to create societies that are accessible, inclusive, and just.