The Social Model of Impairment : An Exposition and a Critique
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://hiw.kuleuven.be/ethical-perspectives |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.2143/EP.32.1.3294142 |
| Keywords | impairment; disability; social model; individual model |
| Description | This paper presents a critique of the social model of impairment. It situates the social model of impairment within the broader framework of the social model of disability, where the distinction between disability and impairment originates. The paper begins by outlining the social model of disability and contrasting it with the individual (medical) model. It then offers an initial critique of the social model. Subsequently, two strategies employed to defend the social model are analysed. The first strategy posits that critiques of the social model arise from misinterpretations; however, this paper argues that such an approach reduces substantive issues to mere semantic debates. The second strategy, which serves as the primary focus of this paper, asserts that both disability and impairment are socially constructed. This argument is critiqued on the grounds that it relies on inconclusive evidence and, if accepted, would lead to nihilistic implications, ultimately undermining the moral responsibility of able-bodied individuals to support those with severe disabilities. |
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