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A Critique Of The Social And Medical Model Of Disability

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Social and Medical Models The model of disability proposed by the ICF is complex and dynamic. It is debated day-in and day-out in the 21st century. There are two models that are linked to people with disabilities today in Ireland. These are the Social model and the Medical model. These two models are working in conjunction with each other. Many people disregard the medical model and it is understandable, however different disabilities have different needs therefore the medical model can’t just be disregarded. The medical model needs to be involved in a person with disability’s life for example; if someone was to get depression, you would need anti-depressants as well as counselling. These sources of help are given by the medical model. However if someone was a wheelchair user and they could not get around the shopping centre, this is societies fault because the shopping centre is not adapted to accommodate everyone, whereas the medical model would try “fix” the individual rather than the shopping centre. You need to focus on the persons surrounding’s instead of the persons disability, “By person-centered care I refer specifically to becoming familiar with the patient’s personal situation in its crucial re-lationship to the source of illness.”, (Caring for Patients: A Critique of the Medical Model, Allen B. Barbour, November 30th 1995, p.1512). These models may be seen as disempowering, and as reinforcing rather than challenging social exclusion.
The Medical Model of
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