Viewers are invited to explore how our education system is influenced by the medical model of disability and its discrimination against disabled people. Similar to racism, sexism, and ageism, ableism exists in society. Unfortunately, our Western culture tolerates ableism, to a large extent, and accepts the medical model of disability, a belief that able-bodied people hold higher value than people with disabilities.
In this video, Joyce and Joe compare and contrast the medical model against the social model of disability, which views disability as solely differences that are neutral and unique to each individual, similarly to how we view a person’s age, race, and gender (Human, 2017). The social model of disability explains that disabilities are created by society itself, drawing upon examples such as buildings that are inaccessible to all and technology that is not inclusive to the deaf, mute, and blind communities. AS you watch, reflect on your own values and practices, along with the medical model’s influence in our society, and how we can provide more equity, diversity, and inclusion by incorporating the social model of disability into our educational system.
