The final chapter of Ellen Clifford’s new book ‘The War on Disabled People: capitalism, welfare and the making of a human catastrophe’ puts forward some ideas for developing a reinvigorated social model of disability.
The social model, which DPAC follows, has proved itself to be a powerful tool for achieving progressive social change and improving the lives of disabled people. It has also been the subject of debate and criticism among disabled people and those who meet the criteria to be considered disabled but who do not identify as such. Over the past decade, disabled people have experienced the brutal impacts of having essential support taken away from us by policies underpinned by an alternative model of disability, the Waddell and Aylward biopsychosocial model.
Clifford outlines some ideas for how disabled people can reclaim and refresh the social model so that it is up-to-date and fit for purpose within current socio-economic and political contexts.
She stresses that such an initiative must be a collective enterprise taken forwards by grassroots disabled people themselves. However as a starting point she puts forward three suggestions developed with her co-thinker and disabled activist, Mark Dunk.
These can be summarised as follows:
- Social model vs individual model of disability.
The book argues that we need to go back to the original analysis of different models of disability put forward at the time the social model was developed. According to this analysis, the model of disability that has a hold over capitalist society is the individual model. This is a way of looking at disability that blames disabled people for their own situation and places responsibility on them to change it. The individual model takes different forms at different times. In the past, many disabled people were treated badly as a result of approaches to disability grounded in the medical model. Today many disabled people are turning to the medical model to help them. For example, medical evidence and diagnoses are needed to access benefits and support; people with energy limited chronic illness have to struggle to get their conditions recognised as real medical illnesses. Meanwhile, other forms of the individual model are appearing. One example of this is the “recovery” model of mental health which puts pressure on people living with mental distress to “get better” so that support services can be cut.
- A social model of impairment.
The social model of disability draws a difference between disability and impairment. Disability is caused by the barriers that society creates and puts in the way of disabled people. Impairments are the conditions that we live with, for example blindness, learning difficulties, mental distress…etc Some groups of people feel that society puts barriers in their way but do not call themselves “disabled” because they do not think of themselves as having an “impairment”. The word “impairment” suggests that there is something wrong with a part of your body or your brain. This does not fit with the understanding that we now have of certain conditions. For example, autistic people do not have anything “wrong” with their brains – they are just wired in a different way. We also now understand that people who live with mental distress do not have “abnormal” brains – distress arises when brains carry out their natural functions for dealing with trauma. Deaf BSL (British Sign Language) users identify as having a shared language and culture.
The book suggests that alongside a social model of disability, we should also have a social model of impairment. According to this, “impairment” would not be understood as something that is wrong with a person’s body or brain. Instead, “impairment” would refer to the disadvantage that a person faces because of how their particular condition is viewed within society. This would enable a wider range of people to identify as disabled – including Deaf people, autistic people, and people living with mental distress – to unite to fight against shared injustice.
The book also argues that under a refreshed social model of disability, it should be made clear that it is not wrong to talk about the pain and distress that some conditions cause us. The social model does not deny pain or distress, it’s just that the social model is about something different.
- A tool for social change
The social model of disability was never meant to be a perfect theory of disability. Its power lies in its ability to unite people who face common barriers so that together they can more effectively fight for social change. Even critics of the social model admit it has helped move things forwards for disabled people. But there has also been so much debate and criticism of the social model that has become a talking point rather than a tool for collective action. This is what we need to get back to.
It may seem contradictory to call for a refreshed social model while discouraging too much talking and theorising. The aim set out in the book, is to develop a working understanding that can bring more of us together in order to present a stronger resistance and work towards building a better world.
This summary is also available in British Sign Language: https://youtu.be/FqujLo-ZpiE
An easy read version developed by People First (Self Advocacy) can be downloaded here: DPAC Social Model proposal_Easy Read
There will be an online meeting to discuss these ideas and hear perspectives from a range of disabled activists, taking place on Monday 6th July 2020 6.30 – 8.30pm. The meeting will be streamed live on DPAC’s Facebook page, twitter and YouTube channel. For more information see: https://dpac.uk.net/2020/07/reinvigorating-the-social-model-of-disability-online-meeting-6-july/