According to the social model, what primarily disables people with impairments?

According to the social model, what primarily disables people with impairments?

• A. It is the individual's impairment that disables them.
• B. It is a combination of impairment and barriers equally.
• C. Genetic factors determine disability wholly.
• D. The society's barriers disable them.

Answer: (D)

In the social model, disability comes from society’s barriers rather than from the impairment itself. An impairment is a difference in function, but what disables someone are the ways environments, policies, and attitudes block participation—things like inaccessible buildings, lack of accommodations, rigid rules, and stigma. When those barriers are removed or reduced, people with impairments can participate more fully, showing that the disabling factor is the social context. So the society’s barriers are the primary source of disablement. This view contrasts with models that locate disability in the person’s impairment or attribute it to genetics, and it also moves beyond any notion of an equal mix by focusing on changing the environment to enable inclusion.

In the social model, disability comes from society’s barriers rather than from the impairment itself. An impairment is a difference in function, but what disables someone are the ways environments, policies, and attitudes block participation—things like inaccessible buildings, lack of accommodations, rigid rules, and stigma. When those barriers are removed or reduced, people with impairments can participate more fully, showing that the disabling factor is the social context. So the society’s barriers are the primary source of disablement. This view contrasts with models that locate disability in the person’s impairment or attribute it to genetics, and it also moves beyond any notion of an equal mix by focusing on changing the environment to enable inclusion.