Disability Awareness

Everyone has their own idea of what a disability is, but are we talking about the same thing? Does disability affect many people in our society?

These are just a few of the questions this module seeks to address.

The module also presents a current view of the main difficulties that persons with disabilities still face when seeking work and, and finally, it will explain why and how to address the stigma and discrimination that often affect people with disabilities.

Key Words

Disability; Social integration; stigma; discrimination; ICF; rights

Suggestions for:

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What are disabilities?

Historically, people thought of disabilities as individual characteristics. Disability was the equivalent of personal impairment, primarily physical. Today, that idea still exists, but it does not correspond to the present scientific concept. Disability is the outcome of the interaction between the individual and his or her mental and physical characteristics and the social and physical environment. We can therefore define disability as the outcome of the interaction of the disabled person with the behavioural and environmental barriers that block the person’s full participation in society at the same level as other people.

The concept has gone from a medical model to a social model.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EJqX9JbMPg&feature=emb_logo

 

What are disabilities?

Historically, people thought of disabilities as individual characteristics. Disability was the equivalent of personal impairment, primarily physical. Today, that idea still exists, but it does not correspond to the present scientific concept. Disability is the outcome of the interaction between the individual and his or her mental and physical characteristics and the social and physical environment. We can therefore define disability as the outcome of the interaction of the disabled person with the behavioural and environmental barriers that block the person’s full participation in society at the same level as other people.

The concept has gone from a medical model to a social model.

According to the ICF “The medical model views disability as a problem of the person, directly caused by disease, trauma or other health condition” (WHO, 2001, p.20).

Those who follow this perspective focus on the individual problem and deal with disability as a problem that needs a solution, therefore a remedy or adjustment of the person and behavioural change.

“The social model of disability, on the other hand, sees the issue mainly as a socially created problem, and basically as a matter of the full integration of individuals into society” (WHO, 2001, p.20).

Adopting the social model, the focus is on social integration and social action. Society as a whole has a responsibility to remove barriers, changing attitudes and disability is considered a human rights issue.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, known as ICF, has been published by the World Health Organization (WHO) aiming an International standard Classification as a “framework for the description of health and health-related states (WHO, 2001, p.3). The ICF is not a classification of diseases, it focuses on the level of functioning of a person relative to his particular condition, in a social and physical environment. The CFI therefore focuses on health and its components, not on the causes or consequences of disease. Under the ICF and the social model of disability, the concept of “disability” has two distinct parts.

Part 1. Functioning and Disability

Part 2. Contextual Factors

1. Part 1. Functioning and Disability The concept of ‘disability’ always has to do with our ‘functioning’ as an individual.

How disability affects our functioning, happens in two dimensions:

(a) Body Functions and Structures and impairments

In ICF “body” refers to the whole individual with their physical and psychological systems. So body functions are physical functions, but also mental functions.

Body structures are the anatomical parts of the body, such as limbs, spinal cord, eyes, etc.

Impairments are problems in body functions or structures as a significant deviation or loss.

(b) Activities and Participation Activity is the execution of the action. If a person cannot execute a task where other people will do, we talk about activity limitation, but this can find a solution through the technology, for example, avoiding the activity limitation.

In the old WHO classification, the word disability was used just like activity limitation.

Participation is every involvement in a life situation. Sometimes there are participation restrictions when an individual may experience problems in involvement in life situations when compared to an individual who does not experience the same problems in a particular culture. That is, participation may or may not be restricted in accordance with cultural norms.

In the old terminology instead of participation restriction the word handicap was used. Example of participation restriction; a wheelchair user could have problems in a ballroom, depending on the social attitudes toward dance by a wheelchair user, although a wheelchair user can also participate as a dancer in some contexts.

2. Part 2. Contextual Factors Apart from our functioning as an individual, disability also relates with the context that implies whether someone is seen as someone who has a disability, or not. This part of the concept of disability also has two dimensions:

(a) Environmental Factors Environmental factors describe the social and physical context where the persons lives. They are an important component of the contextual factors (b) Personal Factors

Personal factors are the individual characteristics which interact with the environmental factors such as physical barriers and social attitudes toward Disability.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, the learner will be able to:

Engage

A discussion about types of disabilities, their characteristics, limitations and implications for the person with a disability.

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Analyse

Limitations and implications of theoretical models of disability.

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Recognise

Address stigma and discrimination related to disability

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In this module you have now learned about what disability is and how the scientific concept of disability has evolved, starting with the medical model; after with the social model and recently with the human rights approach (visit in this module, sections 1.1 and 1.2 for revision of the concept.

You have also learned how disability can affect everyday life (point 2) and the importance of demolishing stigma barriers to improve the quality of life and the respect of the human rights of people with disabilities (point 3).

Disabilities cannot be considered only as a problem of the individual, they must be considered from a bio-psycho-sociocultural perspective, that is, in a continuous interaction between the individual and the social and physical environment in which he lives. This perspective will help persons who have longterm physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments to reach “full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 1)

This video looks at the concept of disability and the way to make a more inclusive society.

After watching the video:

• Write down the three questions you think are most important for the social integration of persons with disabilities.

• Think about someone you know who has a disability. How does it affect their life? Think about their work, physical activities, social activities, family environment, etc.

List five rights that people with disabilities have.

Make a list of words to avoid when referring to people with disability in general

Test yourself for hidden bias

Take the Harvard ‘implicit bias test’ to test your hidden bias.

You can find it here: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Video This video is about unconscious bias: https://www.ted.com/talks/ yassmin_abdel_magied_what_does_my_headscarf_mean_to_you?language=en

After watching this video think about an experience of your own where you had an unconscious bias over someone.

Write a short text (up to one page) about your experience by analysing the possible causes of your bias.

Your Content Goes Here
Shakespeare, Tom (2018). Disability: The Basics. New York: Routledge.

The book is an accessible introduction to disability covering historical, social, environmental, economic and legal topics.

United Nations (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. New York: United Nations.

Access:

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Articles | United Nations Enable United Nations (2018). United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy. New York: United Nations.

Access: UN_Disability_Inclusion_Strategy_english.pdf Watson, Nick and Simo Vehmas (2020). Handbook of Disability Studies. 2e Ed. New York: Routledge

It is a 34-chapter reference book with an interdisciplinary perspective on disability covering the most important topics.

 

World Health Organization (2001). International Classification of Functioning,

Disability and Health – ICF

Geneva: WHO

Access:

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/ 10665/42407/9241545429.pdf;jsessionid=5ADD5B584C05B1DE33C86B92FA 8A1493?sequence=1 World Health Organization (2011). World Report on Disability. Geneva: WHO

 

This report provides a comprehensive description of the importance of disability, analyse the best available scientific information on the subject

Your Content Goes Here

 

Explanation

Attitude

 Attitude is a lasting state of personality around a person, group, object or subject that predisposes the individualto react negatively or positively.

Barriers

 World Health Organization defines Barrier as “Factors in a person’s environment that, through theirabsence or presence, limit functioning and create disability – for example, inaccessible physicalenvironments, a lack of appropriate assistive technology, and negative attitudes towards disability”(WHO, 2012, p.302).

Congenital

 Refers to an illness or condition from birth. Congenital does not mean genetics that is a disease or conditionreceived by parental genes.

Culture

 Culture is everything that is passed on to the next generation through socialization instead of biologically. Theconcept applies equally to a group or society that has homogeneous cultural patterns. Examples includePortuguese culture, middle-class culture, Muslim culture, and so on.

Ethnicity

 The characteristic of a group which consider itself or is considered by others as having the same characteristicsand origin. Gypsy, for example are an ethnic group.

Health

 World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Labelling

 Labelling is the process of using words or phrases to describe characteristics or behaviours In anegative way, such as a disabled, paralytic or mental retarded

Participation

 Participation is involvement in a life situation

Participation 

restrictions

 Participation restrictions are problems an individual may experience in involvement in life situations.

Social 

integration

 Social integration refers to how individuals are linked together in a particular society and the level ofsolidarity between them.

Social

model

 The social model of disability, sees disability mainly as a socially created problem, and basically as amatter of the full integration of individuals into society

Social 

stigmatization

 Social stigmatization is the disapproval or discrimination of an individual based on perceptible bodily,behavioral or social characteristics that is considered abnormal, inferior and to devaluate theindividual

MODULE TUTORS

Drª Natália
Drª Natália Higher Education Institute
General Manager
Prof Dr Fausto Amaro
Prof Dr Fausto AmaroHigher Education Institute
Bridges Coordinator

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